<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>it's sure to be a cold, cold winter (i wanna wrap my coat around you) by blackrose1002, BlackVultures</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24481888">it's sure to be a cold, cold winter (i wanna wrap my coat around you)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose1002/pseuds/blackrose1002'>blackrose1002</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackVultures/pseuds/BlackVultures'>BlackVultures</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>MacGyver (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Anxiety Attacks, Blizzards &amp; Snowstorms, Blow Jobs, Cabin Fic, Coming Untouched, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Dogs, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Meetings, First Time, Getting to Know Each Other, Hand Jobs, Love Confessions, M/M, Multiple Orgasms, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Past Rape/Non-con, Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reunions, Rimming, Rough Sex, Scars, Sharing Clothes, Sharing a Bed, Spanking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:28:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>47,196</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24481888</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose1002/pseuds/blackrose1002, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackVultures/pseuds/BlackVultures</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Um...” Mac cleared his throat, trying to find his voice and ignored the sudden burning in his cheeks. “Okay, that’s... a nice name. My name is Angus... what’s yours?”</p><p>The corner of the man’s lips twitched up in a barely noticeable smirk before the expression on his face went back to the neutral one. “What kind of name is that? You work at Carl’s Junior?” Mac didn’t react to that, used to people making fun of his name, and after a moment the man sighed. “I’m Jack. So now that we all got the introductions outta way... wanna tell me what the hell you were doin’ out in my woods?”</p><p>(Or the one where Mac's looking for his old man and Jack's a hermit who lives in the middle of nowhere... and they're about to change each other's lives forever.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Dalton/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), James MacGyver/Matilda "Matty" Webber, Riley Davis/Desiree "Desi" Nguyen, Wilt Bozer/Leanna Martin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>183</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/deltajackdalton/gifts">deltajackdalton</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/impossiblepluto/gifts">impossiblepluto</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kailene/gifts">Kailene</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/12percentplan/gifts">12percentplan</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey guys! This fic is another looong one that <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose1002/pseuds/blackrose1002">blackrose1002</a> and I affectionately refer to as "LumberJack"... you'll see why that's appropriate in a minute. The idea for this one came from two places: an old fic of mine that I wanted to rework for MacDalton, and some members of the George Eads Thirst Club (to whom this fic is gifted) discussing the merits of a hairy grumpy Jack that resides in the middle of fucking nowhere in a cabin. Combine the two, and bada bing bada boom, you get this hot mess!!! I've tagged for rape/non-con but <b>it occurred in the past between Mac and his kidnappers, not Mac and Jack.</b> They discuss it in broad strokes in the next chapter, so I'll warn for it again then. As always, any mistakes are my own since I'm putting this one together (and I cut my finger open on a knife the other day, which makes typing difficult), and we'd love to hear what you think! Enjoy!</p><p>(Title is from "Winter" by The Rolling Stones, off their highly-underrated album Goats Head Soup.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Angus MacGyver had done plenty of things in his life that most people would’ve considered stupid, crazy, or a combination of the two, but going all the way from Los Angeles to an unincorporated township in New Hampshire on what couldn’t even be classified as a clue about where his dad was took the cake. And doing it in winter, when all his hiking experience came from the mountains of California? That was even worse... yet there he was, decked out in new winter gear and boots with spikes, ready to follow the coordinates he’d found through dense pine and oak woods coated in three feet of snow.</p><p>It was... quite beautiful, he had to admit that, everything around him looking like a Hallmark card. He decided to focus on that as he started walking, figuring thinking about the positives would make it easier to ignore how freezing it was. There was no one else around, so he was surrounded by silence broken only by the snow crunching under his boots, and he absently wondered if he would run into any animals. From what he read about the area—and he read a <em>lot</em> on the six hour flight from LAX to Logan, plus the drive from Boston to the White Mountains—there should be a lot of fauna, including deer, bobcats, or even moose.</p><p>He was less concerned about animals and more concerned about people, because the coordinates he found on one of his dad’s old maps were over a decade old and might not mean anything anymore. He pulled out his compass to check that he was heading in the right direction and continued on as snowflakes began to fall around him. It wasn’t snowing too heavily and Mac hoped it stayed that way because otherwise he’d have a problem... but he refused to let his brain go to the worst case scenario.</p><p>Instead, as he walked between the trees, he wondered what the hell he was doing—he was freezing his ass off in the middle of nowhere, searching for a man that <em>abandoned</em> him when he was just a kid, and who most likely didn’t even want to be found by Mac. Or by anyone else, if the lengths he’d gone to in order to hide himself were any indication. Even with Mac’s resources it was difficult to find the barest trace of him anywhere. He decided to take a gamble on these coordinates, and because it was such a long shot he declined both Bozer and Desi’s offers to tag along—he didn’t want to waste their time.</p><p>His train of thought was broken by a steep incline coming up ahead, and he had to put more work into walking. There was also more ice under the snow, so he kept slipping every third or fourth step, and pretty soon he was completely out of breath. He tried to grab the branches or bigger rocks to support himself, but there weren’t that many of them—just his luck—so he just kept climbing, hoping like hell he wasn’t going to trip and fall down. Somehow he made it to the top, gasping for air despite the fact that he was in good shape—there was less oxygen at that altitude than what his body was used to. He leaned against a tree and gathered his energy for the climb down, taking the first few steps cautiously.</p><p>His feet slid even more this way, gravity pulling him forward, and in an instant he was falling head first down the mountain. For what felt like five minutes but was really only a few seconds he was nothing more than a tumble of tangled limbs, screaming his panic until snow filled his mouth. He hit several boulders before his final collision with the ground, but at that point his head impacted a rock and he was too unconscious to care.</p><p> </p><p>~***~</p><p> </p><p>The first thing Mac became aware of was that every part of him <em>ached</em>. He was also cold, so cold that he thought he was shivering... and then he realized that he was <em>moving</em>. To be more specific, he was pretty sure he was being carried since he heard the footsteps and the snow crunching, but his legs weren’t moving and he... he was pressed against something solid and warm. His brain tried to make some sense of it all, but everything was clouded and even though he opened his eyes, after a moment everything went dark again.</p><p> </p><p>~***~</p><p> </p><p>The next time Mac woke up he was warm all over, some kind of soft fabric wrapped around his whole body like a cocoon. He was naked but that barely registered, because now that he wasn’t so cold he was acutely aware of the pain radiating from his left forearm. It was broken, he realized muzzily, and he definitely had a concussion because he wasn’t nearly as worried about it as he should’ve been. He pried open his eyelids and blinked, staring up at the rough-hewn log ceiling of a cabin. He tried to look around to see where he was, but as soon as he moved his head the ceiling started spinning and he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.</p><p>A moment later the mattress—he was on a bed, apparently—dipped a little... and when he opened his eyes again, he let out a startled noise because right there staring at him was a fucking <em>wolf</em>. Its head was huge and it tilted it to one side, amber eyes watching him curiously. It wasn’t <em>actually</em> a wolf, Mac realized after a second, but some kind of wolf-dog hybrid. The dog leaned in, sniffing at Mac’s face, and he stayed perfectly still until it licked his cheek.</p><p>“Aw, dog, not cool,” he mumbled, bringing his good hand up to scratch behind a pointed ear. That seemed to endear him to the dog, who laid down next to him and rested its head on his shoulder. “What’s your name, huh?”</p><p>“Her name’s Ripley,” a gruff voice sounded from somewhere and it startled Mac so badly he jostled his bad arm, groaning in pain. A moment later he heard heavy footsteps echoing on the wooden floor and then a man showed up by the edge of the bed, looking down at Mac with an unreadable expression on his face. He looked huge from this angle, but in reality he was probably around Mac’s height. His face was mostly obscured by a brownish-gray beard, and he wore a plaid shirt rolled to the elbows that exposed muscular arms crisscrossed with scars. Jeans and thick wool socks completed the look, boots no doubt left by the door... and Mac realized that not only did this rough-looking stranger rescue him from the woods, he stripped Mac naked and rolled him up in a blanket.</p><p>“Um...” Mac cleared his throat, trying to find his voice and ignored the sudden burning in his cheeks. “Okay, that’s... a nice name. My name is Angus... what’s yours?”</p><p>The corner of the man’s lips twitched up in a barely noticeable smirk before the expression on his face went back to the neutral one. “What kind of name is that? You work at Carl’s Junior?” Mac didn’t react to that, used to people making fun of his name, and after a moment the man sighed. “I’m Jack. So now that we all got the introductions outta way... wanna tell me what the hell you were doin’ out in my woods?”</p><p>Mac blinked. “<em>Your</em> woods? I didn’t see any signs.”</p><p>“Well, everybody around here knows me well enough to know I don’t like people near my cabin,” Jack drawled, and his accent wasn’t local—it sounded more like Texas. “So you must not be from around here. Now answer my damn question.”</p><p>Mac swallowed hard, not because he was scared of Jack—even though he probably should’ve been—but because the answer to that question would make him sound like an idiot. “I’m looking for my dad,” he whispered, glancing away to Ripley, scratching behind her ear again. “He left on my tenth birthday. I found some coordinates in his stuff and they led me here.”</p><p>“So what, you were hopin’ he would just pop up from behind a rock or something?” Jack asked incredulously, looking at him as if he lost his mind... and he might not be wrong. “And you chose to come here and wander around in this weather? To me it sounds like you’ve got a death wish, kid.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, it’s the only lead I have,” Mac snapped, unable to stop himself, even though he should probably take it easy since Jack looked like he could break his bones with his pinky finger. “And I... I can go. Thanks for helping me, I’m not gonna bother you any longer. He tried to sit up, stifling another pained groan.</p><p>Rough hands on his shoulders stopped him, pushing him back down to the mattress with surprising gentleness. “You ain’t going anywhere,” Jack said, eyebrows drawing down. “You’ve got a broken arm and a concussion, not to mention a whole lotta bruises. There’s also a big storm movin’ in—you know what a Nor’easter is? You’re stuck here for at least the next few days.”</p><p>Mac stared at him. “Why?” he eventually asked. “Why would you help me? You don’t know anything about me.”</p><p>“Well, I ain’t gonna kick you out so you can freeze to death,” Jack muttered, rolling his eyes. “Anyone waitin’ for you where you came from? Your phone survived, I plugged it in to charge it, so if you wanna call anyone I’d do it now. When the storm comes there probably won’t be any reception.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Mac murmured, and he didn’t just mean for the phone. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance of me seeing a doctor for my arm?”</p><p>“Nearest clinic is in town, and as I’m sure you know that’s about ten miles from here,” Jack said, and he seemed... surprised that Mac thanked him, which was odd. “I’d drive you if it wasn’t already snowing, but we’d probably get stuck and stranded.”</p><p>“Then in that case, can you gather some stuff for me?” Mac asked, grabbing his phone off the nightstand. “We’re going to cast my arm here.”</p><p>Jack raised his eyebrows, which was something Mac expected. “And how do you propose we do that? You’re gonna cook up a homemade cast?”</p><p>“Yup,” Mac said with a grin that widened when Jack once again looked at him like he lost his last marble. “It’s not that hard actually.”</p><p>“Okay, I’ll bite,” Jack said, crossing his arms over his barrel chest. “What do you need me to get?”</p><p>“Warm water, flour, some stuff to mix it with, and lots of newspaper,” Mac replied, scrolling through his contacts. He debated calling Bozer but decided Desi would panic less. “Oh, and some towels, unless you want wet plaster all over your blankets.”</p><p>Jack’s eyebrows went even higher, but then he huffed quietly and walked away, presumably to gather everything Mac asked for.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, Mac picked Desi’s number and she answered on the second ring. “What’s up, genius?” she said instead of a greeting. “Got your ass frozen already?”</p><p>“Not exactly,” Mac replied, happy to hear her voice. Despite the fact that they tried dating and it didn’t work out, Desi was still one of his closest friends and his partner, and he didn’t want to worry her. His arm throbbed in time with his pulse, which drummed painfully in his head. “I fell down a hill and got banged up, so I’m resting right now. Haven’t found any sign of my dad.”</p><p>“Are you okay?” Desi asked, her voice concerned which wasn’t something that happened that often. “How banged up are we talking?”</p><p>“I’m fine, Dez,” Mac said, not really wanting to mention the arm. “I found some shelter and I’m gonna stay here for a while, decide what my next move’s gonna be.”</p><p>“There’s something you’re not telling me,” Desi said, and Mac pictured her narrowed eyes and the downturn of her mouth. “But I’m gonna let it go for now. You still gonna be gone a week?”</p><p>“At least, yeah,” Mac told her, smiling a little. “Can you cover for me with Matty?”</p><p>“Oh sure, can’t wait to get my ass chewed for that,” Desi said dryly. “Be careful.”</p><p>“Always,” Mac replied, and hung up in time for Jack to come back into the bedroom with all the supplies he requested. Ripley shifted on the mattress, looking interested by what was happening, following Jack with a curious gaze. Jack, who looked dubiously at all the supplies and Mac kind of couldn’t wait to prove to him he was right... if only he could figure out how to sit up without the blanket sliding off and completely exposing him.</p><p>Jack set down everything he brought on a chest at the foot of the bed and came closer. “Here, let me help,” he said gruffly, gripping Mac’s shoulders again and aiding him in sitting up and leaning against the headboard.</p><p>The blanket slipped down below his chest, but he tried not to feel self-conscious since Jack had already seen him naked. “Go ahead and put the towels in my lap,” Mac instructed, and used his good hand to move his bad arm on top of the towels once Jack placed them. “First thing you need to do is tear the newspaper into strips that are about two inches wide—then I’ll tell you how to make the plaster.”</p><p>Jack sat down on the edge of the bed and started tearing the newspaper, rolling his eyes and pushing Ripley away when she crawled closer to sniff at the flour. He didn’t seem to be in the mood for a conversation, so Mac didn’t push him and stayed silent. He wished he could help, but with one arm there wasn’t much he could do, so he was stuck watching Jack until he was done with the newspapers, looking at him expectantly. Mac explained how to measure out the flour for the amount of water, and then he took a good look at his arm. It appeared to be a clean break, and he didn’t see any bumps that would indicate the bones were out of alignment.</p><p>“Okay... now what you need to do is start wrapping the plastered strips around my arm,” Mac said, supporting his broken limb by the elbow with his own hand. “The strips should be tight to the skin but not cut off circulation. You have to go from my elbow to my hand, and loop the cast around my thumb too, so everything’s supported.”</p><p>Jack nodded, eyeing Mac’s arm for a moment before shifting closer until he was sitting right next to him. Slowly, he started wrapping the strips around Mac’s arm, his touch surprisingly gentle as he clearly tried not to cause him too much pain. Before Mac knew it he was done, and Jack admired his handiwork, one eyebrow raised. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he commented. “Looks like it worked.”</p><p>“You did a great job,” Mac said, smiling at him and petting Ripley when she nudged his good hand. “Now it just needs to dry.”</p><p>“I could relocate you to by the fireplace if you’re up for it,” Jack offered, cleaning up the mess they made. “Should have some clothes that’ll fit you... although a shirt’s probably not the greatest idea while that’s still wet.”</p><p>“Yeah... I’d appreciate some pants though,” Mac said, flushing red, and he swore he saw Jack smirk for a second before he turned around. He walked up to a dresser in the corner of the room and opened one of the drawers, searching it for a moment before tossing Mac a pair of sweatpants... and underwear, which made Mac blush even more.</p><p>“You think you can get dressed by yourself?” Jack asked, gathering everything and looking at Mac from the doorway.</p><p>“I’m good, yeah,” Mac said with a nod, a movement he regretted when it made him slightly dizzy.</p><p>Jack whistled for Ripley—who leapt off the bed with the power of a small horse—and left the room, shutting the door behind himself to give Mac some privacy. As soon as he was alone Mac buried his face in his good hand and tried to get his shit together. The situation felt exactly like one of those airport romance novels that Bozer pretended he didn’t enjoy, especially because Jack happened to be stupidly attractive.</p><p>He shook off that thought and wrangled his borrowed underwear and pants on one-handed, then wrapped the blanket around himself like a cape and headed for the door. When he walked out of the bedroom he wound up in a small hallway. He passed a door leading to the bathroom and then he was in the main part of the cabin, the living room with a small kitchen area in the corner. It was... surprisingly homey, considering Jack’s gruff and scary demeanor, and Mac couldn’t help but smile when he saw Ripley lying by the fireplace.</p><p>Swinging his gaze in the other direction, Mac spotted Jack in the kitchen. He was loading the dishwasher—a modern convenience that Mac hadn’t expected to see in a cabin like this—but he straightens up when he saw Mac. “Take a look outside,” he said, gesturing toward a curtained window in the living area. “You’ll see what I meant about the weather.”</p><p>Frowning, Mac shuffled over to the window and moved the curtain aside. His eyebrows rose when he saw that not only had the sun gone down, but a blinding sheet of snow fell from the sky, getting blown around by a significant wind. He suddenly realized that if he hadn’t slipped and Jack hadn’t found him, he would’ve been even more fucked because there was no way he would have survived walking around in this weather.</p><p>“Okay, I’m... convinced,” he muttered, turning away from the window.</p><p>Jack gave him a look that could’ve almost been classified as amused. “Did you think I was lyin’?” he asked, raising his eyebrow. “And tryin’ to keep you here against your will?”</p><p>Mac rolled his eyes. “If you were, you were doing a terrible job,” he said, helping himself to his old undershirt when he found it on a drying rack by the fire. “You should’ve at least tied me to the bed. Can you help me make a sling out of this?” When Jack didn’t say anything Mac turned to look at him and found him staring. “What? What did I say?”</p><p>Jack stared at him more, tilting his head and looking almost... curious. “Nothin’,” he said. “You’re just... not behaving like I expected you to.”</p><p>“Oh yeah?” Mac asked, watching Jack grab a knife—hopefully to help him cut his undershirt and not stab him. “What did you expect?”</p><p>Something that was almost a smile flashes briefly on Jack’s hairy face, gone as quickly as it came. “Most people who found themselves in a situation like this might... I don’t know, panic?”</p><p>“I was an EOD tech in the army,” Mac replied wryly, holding the shirt so Jack could slice it before he wrapped it around his shoulder to help stabilize the cast. “The only thing panic does is get you dead faster.” When he looked up he found Jack staring again. “It’s the army thing, isn’t it?” he asked, smiling knowingly. “Let me guess, I don’t look like the army type? Because I get that a lot.” He chuckled under his breath. “People also tend to tell me I’m crazy.”</p><p>“Oh, you’re definitely crazy,” Jack said, but there was no biting edge to the words. “You’d have to be to talk to me for more than five minutes.”</p><p>Mac furrowed his brows and tilted his head to one side. “Why’s that? You rescued me when you didn’t have to.”</p><p>“Mhmm, but I haven’t been the most welcoming, I never am,” Jack said, watching Mac as he checked if the sling was secure before walking back to the kitchen. “And yet you don’t seem phased by that or scared of me... zero preservation instinct.” He snorted before glancing at Ripley. “Then again, no one seems to be behaving like they should.” When Mac’s frown deepened, Jack nodded in the direction of the dog. “She didn’t go for your throat when you woke up. That’s unusual.”</p><p>“I wasn’t acting like a threat,” Mac said, walking over and sitting down on the couch in front of the fireplace. There was a television mounted above it, but Mac couldn’t imagine it got any reception in this weather, so Jack must’ve had a stockpile of DVDs somewhere. Almost immediately Ripley moved closer to him, until her head rested on top of Mac’s bare feet. “Dogs are generally good judges of character, you know. And they can tell who likes them and who’s afraid.”</p><p>“Clearly,” Jack muttered. “Guess I’ll have to feed her with something else.” Mac let out a startled laugh because Jack actually made a <em>joke</em>—unless he really meant to turn Mac into dog food—but before he could say anything, he heard Jack open the fridge. “You should eat somethin’.”</p><p>“Are you sure? I don’t want to cause any—” Mac cut off when he received a withering glance from Jack. “Okay... so what’s for dinner?”</p><p>“Spaghetti and meatballs,” Jack replied after a slight delay caused by digging around for ingredients. “And you better like it, because from the looks of the weather we’ll be eatin’ it for the next few days.”</p><p>“It sounds great,” Mac assured him, especially since he suddenly realized he was hungry enough to eat pretty much anything. The second Jack started setting the ingredients on the counter and took out a pan, Ripley’s head snapped up and she trotted over to the kitchen. “Do you need any help?” Mac offered. “I’m... usually my cooking attempts end with a fire in the kitchen, but I don’t want to be useless.”</p><p>“You’re not useless,” Jack said gruffly, nudging Ripley with his leg to get her out of the way. She looked at the ground beef on the counter with huge eyes, but Mac guessed she wouldn’t see any until it was cooked. “You’ve got a concussion and a broken arm, which you knew how to cast. Injured ain’t the same as being lazy.”</p><p>“Okay,” Mac said softly, and ducked his head to hide a smile. He couldn’t explain it, but he was... intrigued by Jack, definitely not scared. That might prove the theory that he was crazy, but he didn’t care. “So...” he started, aware he was playing with fire, but he couldn’t help it. “How long have you lived here?”</p><p>“A few years now.” Jack chopped vegetables, and while his tone wasn’t... conversational, exactly, it wasn’t unfriendly. “Built it myself.”</p><p>“Wow, that’s awesome,” Mac said, but in the back of his head he couldn’t help but wonder why his father would’ve written down these coordinates. Could there have been another structure where the cabin stood now? “That must’ve been quite the undertaking, doing all of this yourself.”</p><p>“Yeah, it was a lot of work,” Jack agreed, but he didn’t say anything else.</p><p>Mac knew that if he wanted to find out he would have to push harder. “Are there... any other people living in the woods? Other cabins?” Jack looked up, his eyes hard as he stared at Mac. “I’m just... wondering if my father was ever here,” Mac explained, not flinching away from Jack’s unfriendly expression. “The coordinates I found are... not far from here. Basically a few feet away, so...” He trailed off, shrugging with one shoulder.</p><p>Jack was silent for long enough that it started to get oppressive, and then he went back to cooking. “When I first came into town there was talk of a fire that happened somewhere out here, in the woods,” he said, and the smell of cooking onions and garlic filled the cabin. “Apparently there was some kind of wilderness retreat not far from here—like the kind of thing where city slickers can rent a cabin for a week and feel like they’re survivalists. Nobody died, but the fire destroyed the whole place and the couple who ran it had to leave because they didn’t have any money to rebuild.”</p><p>Mac frowned a little. “My father never seemed like the type that would ever stay at a place like that, but... it’s not like I knew him that well.” He turned his gaze away to stare at the fireplace, eyes following the flames. Once again he wondered why he even bothered searching for his dad—maybe he should just go back home after the weather got better and let it all go.</p><p>It was quiet for a moment, at least until Jack held out a steaming mug in front of Mac’s face. “It’s tea,” he said in answer to Mac’s unasked question. “Normally I’d put some whiskey in it, but not with a head injury.” He must’ve been waiting for the sauce to cook because he sat down on the couch, leaving a foot or so of space between them. “So your old man took off, huh? Why are you looking for him?”</p><p>Mac wrapped his good hand around the mug and propped it on his thigh. “I’m... not sure,” he admitted, staring at the dancing flames, inhaling sharply in surprise when Ripley’s head popped up out of nowhere to rest on his other thigh. “I guess I want... answers? Like I told you, he left on my tenth birthday without a word. My grandfather raised me.”</p><p>Jack didn’t acknowledge that for a moment, just stared into the fire too. Then, all of a sudden, he said, “I grew up on a ranch in Texas, in a house with both parents, three brothers and a sister. Never had grandparents, though.”</p><p>“That sounds... crowded,” Mac offered, which earned him a rough sound that he realized belatedly was a laugh. “I’m from California and I was an only child, in case that wasn’t obvious. My... my mom died when I was little.”</p><p>“That must’ve been hard for you,” Jack murmured, surprising Mac a little, and there was something in his voice... like maybe he knew how it felt, but Mac decided not to pry.</p><p>“It was,” he said instead. “I don’t remember everything about her, but I remember enough to miss her. A lot.” He sighed and took a sip of his tea. “My dad changed after she died.”</p><p>Jack hesitated, taking a sip off his own mug, which Mac guessed had more than just tea in it. “Same with my ma after my old man passed,” he offered, and while the words were stilted they were also genuine. “It was like the light inside her got snuffed out for a while, you know?”</p><p>“Yeah, I... I get that,” Mac said, risking a glance at Jack’s face. He stared pensively at the flames, but then he met Mac’s gaze. Now that Mac wasn’t in as much pain and his head was clearer, he felt the tug of attraction below his breastbone even as he tried to squash it. He decided to change the subject to something less heavy: “So how long have you been growing that raccoon on your face?”</p><p>Jack’s eyes widened in surprise and he let out another rough laugh. “A while,” he muttered, brushing his beard with his fingers. “Makes me look scary which means no one bothers me. And I like it this way.”</p><p>“Well, it certainly makes you look the part of a classic lumberjack.” Mac’s eyes widened when he heard what he said and he laughed. “Oh my god, even your name is right for that! Lumber... Jack.”</p><p>Jack rolled his eyes. “Great, you’ve been awake for an hour and you’re already annoying,” he said, and while that <em>could’ve </em>sounded biting, it doesn’t. He pushed himself up off the couch and took Mac’s empty mug, going back to the stove to check on the food. Ripley didn’t move, staring up at Mac until he gave in and petted her head. “You want a painkiller for that arm?” Jack asked from where he was draining some pasta. “Think I got some leftover codeine.”</p><p>“Maybe later?” Mac asked, smiling when Ripley licked his hand... and then she climbed on the couch and sat there instead of lying down, and Mac saw how huge she was. “Painkillers tend to make me a little... dizzy and loopy.” <em>And horny</em>, Mac’s mind added but thankfully he didn’t say it out loud.</p><p>“Suit yourself,” was Jack’s response. He dished out the spaghetti into two mismatched bowls and put cheese on it before returning to the couch and handing one bowl to Mac. He sat back down where he was before, heedless of Ripley taking up the space between him and Mac. “Damn dog always goes wherever she wants even if you tell her not to. Better get used to it.”</p><p>“That’s okay, I don’t mind,” Mac said, chuckling when Ripley leaned in closer, almost shoving her muzzle into his bowl. “Hey, easy,” he murmured, gently shoving her away. She just whined before lying down, and she was so big that her muzzle and front paws wound up in Mac’s lap while her tail was in Jack’s. “She’s just a giant lap dog, isn’t she?”</p><p>“Not until she met you,” Jack said, and that made Mac feel warm all over. He whistled for Ripley’s attention and waited until she stilled completely before tossing her part of a meatball. She munched on it happily and left their food alone after that. “You good?”</p><p>“Yeah, this is great,” Mac replied in between bites, trying not to get sauce all over himself like a little kid. “The last thing I ate was a granola bar.”</p><p>“Sounds about right,” Jack muttered. “You’ve never went on a hike in a weather like this, have you?” Mac was in the middle of chewing so he just shook his head, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. “Thought so. Your gear was good, but also brand new, and your supplies—the lack of them—was just asking for trouble.”</p><p>“So what you’re saying is that even if I hadn’t been a klutz and fell down a hill, I would’ve been fucked anyway?” Mac asked when he could speak, wanting to confirm his earlier suspicion.</p><p>“Yep,” Jack replied, nodding his head. “Once the weather moved in it would’ve chewed you up and spit you out. It’s damn near impossible to survive outside in a storm like this, even with the right clothes.” When they were done eating Jack took the dishes and put them in the dishwasher too, which started up with a watery groan that added some background noise to the otherwise silent cabin. “It’s probably too early for you to sleep. Wanna watch a movie or somethin’?”</p><p>“Sure,” Mac agreed, using his good hand to scratch Ripley behind her ears. “What do you wanna watch?”</p><p>“You ever seen <em>Die Hard</em>?” Jack asked, and Mac shook his head again. “Seriously? Damn, kid, you’ve got some catching up to do. We’re watchin’ it.”</p><p>There was an old-fashioned record player on a cabinet on one side of the fireplace, and the other side was home to a bookshelf with some doors underneath it. Jack opened those doors, which revealed a plethora of DVDs, just like Mac predicted. He pulled one out and stuck it into the player on the mantel, grabbing the remote from the chest that served as a coffee table and sitting down again. Everything in the cabin seemed to have more than one purpose, something that Mac appreciated.</p><p>Ripley hopped down off the couch and curled up on the rug by the fire, leaving that gap of a foot or so in between Mac and Jack open once more. Mac forced himself to ignore that, because he was being ridiculous—Jack was hot, sure, but he was also a complete stranger, so Mac shouldn’t be affected by his gorgeous eyes and all the muscles hidden under his shirt. The movie started and Mac tried to focus on that, and pretty soon he found himself drawn into it, curious about what was going to happen.</p><p> </p><p>~***~</p><p> </p><p>A couple of hours flew by and when the credits rolled Mac grinned. “That was awesome, man. Isn’t this a series?”</p><p>“Yeah, but the only passable one after this is the second one,” Jack said, and he sounded... looser, like some of the gruffness he put on was for show and he’d let it drop. “The rest of them are kind of shitty, if I’m being honest.”</p><p>“Mhmm, I’m sure you still like watching them every now and then,” Mac said, smiling when Jack raised his eyebrow questioningly. “It’s obvious this is your favorite movie, so I’m guessing you’re fond of the series as well.”</p><p>Jack rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched up. “Guilty. How’s your arm, hoss? How’s the pain?”</p><p>“It hurts,” Mac admitted, shifting the cast carefully. Luckily it seemed to have dried, so he should be able to take it out of the sling to sleep. “I think I’ll take that codeine now.”</p><p>“Sure,” Jack murmured, getting up and heading for the bathroom. He rummaged around and came back with a glass of water and a white pill that Mac recognized as codeine, just like Jack said. “Here, take this and go to bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”</p><p>“Jack, no,” Mac protested. “You’ve been generous enough, I can sleep on the couch, it’s fine.”</p><p>“No way, man.” Jack shook his head. “The couch is okay, but you’ve been through enough. You’re takin’ the bed.”</p><p>Sensing there was no point in arguing, Mac nodded after a few seconds. “Okay, I... thank you,” he said softly, taking the codeine and swallowing it with water. “I appreciate you helping me, really.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” Jack grumbled, but there was that flash of surprise again, like he couldn’t believe Mac was polite to him. He offered Mac a hand up and he took it, a wave of dizziness washing over him when he stood. Jack was there to keep him from falling over, letting him lean against his chest. “Hey, easy. Don’t move too fast.”</p><p>Mac closed his eyes and took a deep breath, realizing Jack smelled of wood, leather and... gunpowder? He waited until he felt steady again and opened his eyes, only to find Jack much closer than he expected. “I’m... sorry about that,” Mac murmured, stuttering over his words a little. “I... think I’m good.”</p><p>“We’ll see about that,” Jack said quietly, his voice rumbling through Mac’s body like an earthquake. He kept a hand on Mac’s good arm, his grip warm and firm around his elbow, and he led him back to the bedroom. Now that Mac was more aware he noticed the space was very cozy, with lots of warm bedding and a rug on the floor that he could sink his toes into. “You need anything else?”</p><p>“No, I think I’m okay,” Mac said with a smile.</p><p>Jack let go of his elbow and Mac immediately missed his warmth and touch which was <em>ridiculous</em>, and Mac needed to get himself together. Before either of them could say anything else, the soft sound of paws on the wooden floor came from the hallway and a moment later Ripley showed up, walking past them and hopping on the bed, curling up on one side.</p><p>“No, girl, you ain’t sleepin’ here tonight,” Jack muttered, walking up to the bed and trying to get her off, but she stayed put, whining in response.</p><p>“Hey, it’s okay,” Mac said. “I’m guessing she sleeps here with you? I don’t mind.”</p><p>“You sure?” Jack asked, and when Mac nodded he stepped back from the bed. “Alrighty then. Just holler if you need anything else... goodnight, Angus.”</p><p>Mac <em>almost </em>told Jack to call him Mac, but something stopped him—he liked the way his name sounded when Jack said it. “Goodnight, Jack.”</p><p>He left the door open a crack, presumably so Ripley could leave if she wanted to, and Mac untied the sling before crawling into the bed. He slid under the covers and relaxed against the mattress, letting out a pleased sigh. Jack’s bed was amazing, soft and comfortable, and Mac felt his eyes drop barely a moment later. The codeine was also slowly kicking in, his arm not hurting that badly, and Mac was glad Jack wasn’t nearby because he would surely embarrass himself like he usually did after taking painkillers. He shifted a little, trying to find a comfortable position, and once he did that he closed his eyes.</p><p>“Goodnight, Ripley,” he mumbled, and listened to the dog’s steady breathing, letting it lull him to sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you guys SOOO much for all the wonderful comments on the first chapter, they mean the world to us! &lt;3 More of the mystery is revealed in this chapter... and Mac and Jack continue to get closer. Also Ripley's super cute. <b>Note: if you want to skip the part of this chapter where Mac discusses what happened to him, stop reading at "Angus sighed, not seeming to mind Jack’s touch" and start again at "“Totally by accident,” Angus replied, letting out a sound that was too shattered to be a laugh".</b> Enjoy and let us know what you think!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jack’s eyes snapped open and at first he wasn’t sure what woke him. A glance at the clock on the mantel told him it was the middle of the night, and the wind had picked up substantially, making the whole cabin creak. He listened and heard a sound: whimpering. Tossing aside the blanket, he got off the couch and headed into the bedroom... and found the whimpering coming from Angus, not Ripley. Speaking of the dog, Jack almost collided with Ripley in the hallway. She was clearly very much awake and it kind of seemed like she was on her way to get Jack because she whined quietly, walking in circles around him.</p><p>“Okay, girl, easy,” Jack murmured, and quietly walked into the bedroom.</p><p>Angus was lying on his back, his broken arm resting on his chest, but his good hand was twisted in the sheets as he whimpered again, thrashing in the bed. “Please, don’t,” he basically sobbed. “Don’t, s-stop.”</p><p>“Hey, Angus,” Jack tried, sitting down on the opposite side of the bed, hopeful that his voice combined with the movement of the mattress would wake him up. When that didn’t work, Jack reached out tentatively, fingers resting lightly against his shoulder. The words Angus was saying in his sleep made Jack’s gut twist—he sounded so <em>scared</em>, but of what? “Kid, you need to wake up. You’re having a nightmare.” Angus didn’t react, only thrashed and whimpered again, so Jack squeezed his shoulder and shook him a little. Suddenly Angus woke, a loud sob ripping out of his throat, and he abruptly sat up... and then there was a fist flying in the direction of Jack’s face. He ducked easily and caught the fist in his hand, shifting closer to Angus. “Hey, hey, easy, you’re safe.”</p><p>The next thing Jack knew the kid was crying for real, complete with tears and panicked breathing, so Jack did the only thing he could think of and wrapped his arms around him. Angus buried his face in Jack’s shoulder and sobbed again, a pained sound that made Jack shush him automatically. It’d been a long time since anyone got this close to Jack intentionally, and he felt a little overwhelmed... but clearly Angus had it worse.</p><p>Jack made sure not to put any pressure on his broken arm and pulled Angus closer, his chest tightening when he kept sobbing uncontrollably. Jack started stroking his back up and down with one hand, making shushing sounds every now and then, and just held him, figuring Angus needed to let it all out. A moment later Ripley jumped on the mattress as well, startling Jack a little, and she curled up next to them, whining softly.</p><p>“S’okay, girl,” Jack assured quietly, even though he had no idea if it actually was. It seemed to take an eternity for Angus to calm down, his sobs quieting to harsh breaths, the material of Jack’s shirt soaked through with tears. It was only when Angus fell completely silent that Jack dared to ask, “You back with me?”</p><p>Angus nodded a little, but Jack didn’t let him go, tightening his arms around him when Angus started shivering. “I’m s-so sorry,” he whispered brokenly, his voice hoarse from crying and sobbing. He tried to pull back but he seemed to be doing so reluctantly and Jack didn’t let him go. “I’m so sorry, it won’t happen again, I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“You don’t need to be sorry,” Jack said, and when did he let his voice sink into that soft pitch he used to use with Diane and Riley? “You had a nightmare, man, you can’t control that. And for what it’s worth...” He hesitated. “I’ve got some pretty bad PTSD, I get ‘em too.” Angus went still in his arms save for the occasional little shudder, so Jack offered, “Did you want to talk about it?”</p><p>“N-Not really,” Angus whispered, and Jack was either seeing things or Angus shifted <em>closer</em> to him, as if he found Jack’s presence comforting. “But maybe... maybe I should?” He sniffled. “It’s late though, I’m sure you wanna go back to sleep.”</p><p>“Nah, hoss, I’m good,” Jack muttered, smiling a little when Ripley put her head between them. “If you wanna talk about it, I’ll listen. You seemed... really scared.”</p><p>Angus sucked in a breath and blew it out, like he was trying to gather his thoughts. “Remember when I said I was in the army? Well... my first overwatch for EOD got killed, and to make it long story extremely short, it turns out the bomb that killed him was meant for me.” He sniffled. “But anyway, after Peña died... I had a revolving door of overwatches, and none of them were very good. And on one particular callout... I got taken by a group of insurgents.”</p><p>“How the hell did that happen?” Jack growled, and then he forced himself to calm down when the anger burned in his chest. He couldn’t explain why he was getting so invested, but the thought of some bastard letting Angus get taken... it made him furious.</p><p>“The bomb we were called to turned out to be a fake,” Angus said quietly. “It was a trap. And my overwatch didn’t really care, so he didn’t take his position before I approached the device... so there was no way for him to help me.”</p><p>Jack knew this story couldn’t be heading anywhere good, and he rubbed an absent hand up and down Angus’s bare back. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to. But if... if you think it will help, then go for it.”</p><p>Angus sighed, not seeming to mind Jack’s touch. “My overwatch reported me missing, but by then the insurgents had taken me far away from where he last saw me. The short version of the story is that they had me for about ten days while they ransomed me out to the army. They didn’t pay, of course—no negotiating with terrorists—so the insurgents decided they were going to see what I knew about troop movements, and that’s when the torture started. And when they couldn’t get any information out of me that way, they... they tried rape.” Jack inhaled sharply, his arms involuntarily tightening around Angus. “It... it was worse than all the torture,” Angus whispered, seemingly not noticing Jack holding him tighter. “It <em>hurt</em> and I... I actually hoped they would kill me. I wanted them to kill me so that I wouldn’t have to go through this.” He sniffled and started trembling again. “They... took turns with me.”</p><p>“Fuck, Angus,” Jack whispered, something in his old heart aching. He hadn’t felt much of anything for so long, and now he had tears burning his eyes. “I’m so sorry. Are you... askin’ if you’re okay seems kinda silly considering the circumstances... so how did you get out?”</p><p>“Totally by accident,” Angus replied, letting out a sound that was too shattered to be a laugh. “The insurgent base got raided by a Marine squadron and they found me. I spent about a month in medical in Germany before I got discharged.”</p><p>“When... when was that?” Jack asked, shifting them a little so that he could lean against the headboard, Angus pressed against his side.</p><p>“About... eight years ago?” Angus guessed, and he must’ve sensed Jack’s surprise because he added, “I’m older than I look.”</p><p><em>And you’re still old enough to be his father</em>, a snide voice in Jack’s head reminded, but he squashed it immediately. “What...” Jack had to clear the emotions from his throat. “What do you do now? For work, I mean.”</p><p>Angus didn’t answer him for a moment, but when he spoke what he said was shocking in its honesty. “I’m a spy. I used to work for a place called DXS, but now it’s called the Phoenix Foundation.”</p><p>The name definitely sounded familiar and Jack was pretty sure he knew the person running the place, but he pushed that back for now. “Why on earth would you tell me that?” he asked, turning his head a little, and it was a mistake because his nose wound up buried in Angus’s hair that smelled like... ozone and sunshine. “You’re not supposed to do that, you know that, right?”</p><p>Angus chuckled again, and this time it rang with amusement. “I know, but... I kinda have to trust you, don’t I? And I already told you more about myself than I tell most people.” He swallowed audibly. “Plus, unless I’m way off base... you were in the military too, and probably a spy after that.”</p><p>Jack tensed for the briefest moment—a habit—before he forced himself to relax. “Delta Force,” he admitted quietly, his hand rubbing up and down Angus’s back again. “And then I was at the CIA... and then military again.” He shook his head a little. “What gave me away? And...” He trailed off, debating whether he should ask the next question or not. “How’s Matty Webber doin’?”</p><p>Angus tilted his head back to look at Jack, and because Jack had his face so close to him already they wound up almost nose-to-nose. The only light in the room trailed down the hall from the main part of the cabin, so it was hard to see much, but Jack could just make out the blue of Angus’s eyes. “She’s good,” he whispered, his breath warm against Jack’s lips. “She rides my ass, but sometimes I deserve it.”</p><p>Jack knew he should pull back, he <em>knew</em> that, but instead of being responsible he stayed completely still. “For some reason that doesn’t surprise me,” he murmured. “You haven’t answered my first question though,” he continued, mesmerized by those blue eyes looking up at him, full of trust that he didn’t deserve. “How did you know what I used to do?”</p><p>“The gun callouses on your right hand,” Angus started, voice low, eyelashes casting shadows on his cheeks when he blinked. “Plus the scars on your knuckles and arms, and the way you carry yourself. Posture’s a big indicator of military training.” He cocked his head a little, reminding Jack of Ripley when she was curious about something. “If you had such a long career... why did you decide to live in the middle of nowhere?”</p><p>Jack smiled sadly. “I didn’t really have anywhere else to go’” He sighed. “Or anything else to do. By the time I joined the army for the second time I was... so tired,” he said, which was something he didn’t admit very often. “My PTSD was... bad, and after a while I just... couldn’t do it anymore. I didn’t wanna go back to Texas, I couldn’t let my family see me like that... so I ended up here.”</p><p>“Well... I’m glad you’re here,” Angus said, his good hand tentatively coming to rest on Jack’s shoulder. “If you weren’t, I would’ve died out there.” Jack saw the moment that Angus became aware of their proximity... and he didn’t move away. “I know I thanked you for that already, but... I really am grateful, Jack. Not just for helping me, but for listening too.”</p><p>“You’re welcome, Angus,” Jack murmured, and it took all of his willpower not to let his gaze drop to Angus’s lips. He cleared his throat, hoping it would somehow help him figure out what to do, but it didn’t really work. “How are you feelin’ now?” he asked, desperately trying not to think about how warm and soft Angus was against his side. “Are you in any pain?”</p><p>“No, the codeine helped,” Angus said, and he glances away for a moment, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “Do you... would you mind sleeping in here? It’s probably more comfortable, and... and maybe I won’t have another nightmare if I’m not alone?” His words took on a nervous quality, like they weren’t already pressed together. “Plus it’s warmer... but only if you want to.”</p><p>This was a terrible idea for so many reasons, but Jack found himself nodding. “I don’t mind at all,” he murmured, and a part of his brain screamed at him, asking what the fuck he was doing. “We’ll have to kick this one out, though,” Jack said, gesturing at Ripley and ignoring his yelling brain. “Otherwise she’s gonna sleep on top of us and trust me, she’s heavy.”</p><p>That earned him another one of those laughs from Angus, and that was quickly becoming Jack’s new favorite sound. He let Angus go to shoo Ripley out, and as an afterthought he walked back out into the living room and grabbed his gun. He came back in and set it on the nightstand, and to his amazement Angus didn’t say anything about it. Then he climbed under the covers with Angus, and he swallowed hard, clenching his hands into fists to keep them to himself.</p><p>“I have a confession to make,” Angus said after a moment, and when Jack rolled on his side to look at him he found him much closer than he expected.</p><p>“What is it?” he asked quietly, forcing himself to stay still.</p><p>“I... usually don’t like when people call me by my name,” Angus said softly. “Everyone usually makes fun of it, so I don’t really let anyone use it... my last name is MacGyver, so most people just call me Mac.” He chewed on his lower lip. “I... I don’t mind you calling me Angus, though.”</p><p>Something shifted in Jack’s still-screaming mind, and he found thinking of Angus as Mac was fairly easy... but if he was honest he liked the way that “Angus” rolled off his tongue. “Sorry I compared you to Carl’s Junior earlier, then,” he said softly, and managed not to startle too badly when Mac reached out to touch his hand.</p><p>“It’s okay,” Mac murmured, smiling a little. “It sounds nice with your accent.”</p><p>Jack swallowed hard because he found himself wanting to wrap his arms around Mac and hold him, and... do so much more, but he <em>couldn’t</em>. No matter how beautiful Mac was and how attracted Jack was to him, he wasn’t going to take advantage of him. “Not the first time my accents saves my ass,” he replied, somehow keeping his voice steady. “You should... get some rest now. You need all the sleep you can get after everything that happened yesterday.”</p><p>Mac’s smile widened and he snuggled up in the blankets, curled toward Jack but not quite touching, save for where the tips of his fingers rested on the back of Jack’s hand. “You’re probably right,” he said, yawning a little. “Goodnight again, Jack.”</p><p>“Goodnight,” Jack whispered, watching as Mac’s eyes closed and his breathing evened out into sleep.</p><p>He was gorgeous and it hit Jack like a punch to the gut because he couldn’t do this—he was no good for other people, that had been proven many times. He always hurt people that were close to him, either by accident or purposefully, and he didn’t want to do that to Mac, so he needed to keep himself in check until the weather got better and Mac was able to leave.</p><p>And then Jack would be alone again, just like he should be.</p><p>A moment later he heard paws scratching the wooden floor—Ripley walking back into the bedroom—followed by a soft thud of her landing on the rug near the bed. She was the only company Jack needed, after all, so he forced himself to ignore Mac’s burning touch on his hand and closed his eyes, eventually drifting away to the sound of Mac’s and Ripley’s breathing.</p><p> </p><p>~***~</p><p> </p><p>The next time Mac woke up it was slow and gentle, a pleasant rhythm keeping time next to his ear. It took him a moment to realize it was a heartbeat, and another moment to discover that he and Jack were tangled together in the middle of the bed. Surprisingly his first reaction wasn’t panic or embarrassment, but a sense of rightness, like this was something they always should’ve been doing. His head was on Jack’s chest and he was pressed into his side, one leg twined through both of Jack’s. His casted arm rested across Jack’s belly, and Jack had both arms looped around his shoulders, the muted light from the snowstorm beyond the curtained windows casting purpled shadows on his features.</p><p>He was... gorgeous and even though Mac wasn’t usually into guys with beards he had to admit it looked good on Jack. He was relaxed and peaceful, and somehow Mac had a feeling that didn’t happen too often, even while he was asleep. He knows this was insane, cuddling with a man who he met the day before, but it just felt... right. He forced himself not to move and stay pliant, not wanting Jack to wake up, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth radiating from his body. Mac almost got lulled back to sleep by Jack’s breathing and the heat surrounding him, but then he felt Jack stir. He knew the instant Jack became aware of their positioning because he went tense all over.</p><p>“Son of a bitch,” Jack breathed out... but he didn’t move, probably because he thought Mac was still asleep.</p><p>It also didn’t seem like the insult was directed at Mac because if it was Jack probably would have pushed him away the second he woke up. No, it was like Jack said those words to <em>himself</em>... and he was angry at himself which didn’t make much sense. Before Mac could think more about it, a soft whine sounded from the floor on Jack’s side and Mac felt Jack move one arm, probably to pet Ripley’s head.</p><p>“Shhh, girl,” Jack murmured, voice barely audible. “Gimme a minute, alright?”</p><p>When Jack stilled again he let out a shuddering sigh, almost like he was trying not to get emotional, and Mac was even more confused. If Jack’s isolation was self-imposed and he was this lonely, why didn’t he just leave the forest? And also... was the attraction Mac felt mutual, or was it just a by-product of Jack having been alone for so long? Before Mac could think about it too much Jack shifted again, carefully sliding out from underneath Mac and allowing him to rest against the pillows and mattress.</p><p>“C’mon, Ripley,” Jack muttered, and he left the bedroom with the dog trailing behind him, presumably heading to the front door so he could let her outside.</p><p>Mac’s suspicion was confirmed when he heard the front door open and shut a second later. The complete silence that followed indicates that Jack went outside with Ripley, so that meant that it was probably safe to be outdoors. Slowly, Mac sat up and he was happy to discover he felt better than yesterday—his arm hurt a little, but that was something to be expected. He got up and headed to the bathroom, smiling when he saw a new toothbrush waiting for him on the sink. Once he was all done, he padded to the living room and it looked like Jack and Ripley were still outside, so Mac headed for the kitchen, figuring he could make himself useful and start on the coffee.</p><p>Luckily Jack had a simple drip coffee machine so there was nothing for Mac to potentially blow up, and it was easy for him to make a pot with one hand partially covered by a cast. Once he was done with that a peek out the window told him that Jack and Ripley were indeed outside, but while the wind wasn’t blowing as hard, there was at least a foot of snow on the ground and more coming down. He felt better today, not nearly as dizzy, and he wondered if he could get Jack to show him the remains of the burned-down vacation spot... maybe using the snowshoes Jack had hanging on one wall.</p><p>He smiled a little when he saw Ripley bouncing around, barking and chasing the snowflakes. Jack leaned against the tree, staring into the distance with a... troubled look on his face, and Mac couldn’t help but wonder what was going on inside his head. A moment later he pushed himself off the tree and probably whistled at Ripley—Mac couldn’t hear that, but the dog’s head snapped in his direction and she followed Jack immediately. By now the coffee was ready, so Mac turned away from the window and grabbed some mugs, filling them both to the brim. Since Jack was Army for a long time, he probably took it black just like Mac did.</p><p>When the door opened Ripley shook the snow off her fur before making a beeline for Mac, who put down the mugs so he could bend over and scratch behind her ears. “Hey, girl,” he said, then glanced up at Jack. “Is it as cold out there as it looks?”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s freezin’,” Jack muttered, shaking his head a little (just like Ripley) and shrugging off his jacket. He seemed to be going back to his gruff self, so Mac rolled with it, not calling him out and handing him the coffee mug instead. Jack looked surprised, but accepted before looking Mac up and down, and Mac was either seeing things or Jack’s gaze lingered on his bare chest. “How are you feelin’?”</p><p>“Better,” Mac replied, taking a sip off his own mug. He moved out of the way when Jack approached the stove but was careful to keep his back out of Jack’s line of sight—he knew the man already undressed him, but he doubted he saw his scars. “I don’t think I’ll be running a marathon anytime soon, but I can walk around without falling down.” He boosted himself up to sit on the counter. “So what’s for breakfast?”</p><p>Jack glanced at him before he opened the fridge. “How about omelets? No idea when it’ll be possible to go out to get groceries, but I do have a shit ton of eggs.”</p><p>“Omelets sound great,” Mac replied, smiling when Ripley was by Jack’s side as soon as Jack put the food on the counter, looking at the eggs with huge eyes.</p><p>“Oh, come on,” Jack said, rolling his eyes when he almost tripped over here. “What, you wanna eat raw eggs? Get a grip, girl.”</p><p>Mac’s smile widened and he felt something that was an awful lot like fondness. “Should I feed her for you?”</p><p>Jack nodded, pointing to a bag of dog food, so Mac poured some kibble into one bowl and changed her water too. That required bending down again... and he didn’t realize his back was in Jack’s line of sight until he straightened up and caught the look on his face. He couldn’t exactly read it, but it looked a lot like anger and... pain mashed into one. He glanced a little over his shoulder even though he couldn’t see the scars this way and he sighed.</p><p>“As you can probably guess, those are from that time I got captured,” he said, giving Jack a sad excuse for a smile. “They’re ugly, I’m aware, but... there isn’t much I can do about it.”</p><p>“Sorry for starin’,” Jack murmured, taking a step closer, one hand twitching like he wanted to reach out but didn’t. “And they’re not ugly... I’d be kind of a hypocrite if I thought that.” He glanced down at his own arms, mouth curving up wryly. “You don’t need to hide ‘em, or feel self-conscious. Not around me anyway.”</p><p>Mac almost asked about Jack’s scars, what happened and how he got them, but he stopped himself, not sure how Jack would react to that question. “Okay, I... thank you,” he said instead, his voice soft, and there it was again, that slightly surprised look on Jack’s face.</p><p>“You don’t need to thank me for that,” Jack mumbled, turning around and going back to making omelets. “But you’re welcome.”</p><p>They fell into a companionable silence, broken only by the sounds of cooking eggs and Ripley eating. Jack scrambled a plain egg for her and dumped it in her bowl before he plated up their breakfasts, which turned out to be omelets stuffed with cheese, ham, and spinach. He took their plates and coffees over to the couch and Mac followed him, sitting down on one end of the couch like he did the night before. He wondered if the subject of them cuddling this morning would come up... and more importantly, what would happen if it did.</p><p>Jack probably thought Mac didn’t know about it because he believed Mac was still asleep when he woke up and got out of the bed. “Hey, so...” Mac started, swallowing a piece of his omelet which was actually delicious. “I know I kinda... used you as a pillow after we fell asleep. Sorry about that.”</p><p>Jack went completely still, his fork poised above his omelet. “You were... awake for that?” he asked, voice oddly stilted.</p><p>Mac nodded, trying to keep things casual and hide how fast his heart was beating in his chest. “Yeah, I... didn’t want to move, if I’m being honest. It’s been a while since I slept in a bed with somebody else.” The last person he shared a bed with was Desi, and that didn’t work out so well.</p><p>Jack stared at him, but at least he seemed to have resumed breathing. “It’s... okay,” he said, and sounded more like his normal gruff self. “Been a while for me too.”</p><p>“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Mac commented, making Jack look at him with a frown. “What about your furry roommate? She seemed pretty attached to her side of the bed.”</p><p>Jack let out a startled laugh and they both glanced at Ripley who was curled up near Mac’s feet. “I thought we were discussing sharing a bed with humans,” Jack muttered, but he sounded amused now, which made Mac’s chest feel lighter.</p><p>“We were, but I’m trying to be reassuring,” Mac teased, and feeling bold, he nudged Jack’s knee with his own. “My last girlfriend—who’s also my partner at the Phoenix—was not an easy person to bunk with. She punched me out of a sound sleep more than once.” He thought about it and added, “Actually, when I was at MIT I had a boyfriend who kicked a lot in his sleep. Do I attract violent sleepers?”</p><p>In case Jack had any doubts, Mac slipped in that little piece of information about him having a boyfriend in the past, and he did it subtly or at least he hoped so. “Who knows,” Jack murmured, chuckling a little before he looked at Mac curiously. “So you work with your ex? How’s that workin’ out for you?”</p><p>“Actually it’s not too bad,” Mac said, smiling when he thought of Desi, from her crazy driving to her secret love for the Backstreet Boys. “She’s a great person, we just... didn’t work romantically. But I’m glad that we’re still friends.” He decided to take another risk, finishing his omelet and asking nonchalantly, “So what about you? Any less than hospitable bedmates in your past?”</p><p>Jack didn’t reply right away, slowly chewing on the last bite of his omelet. “Not really, no,” he eventually said, setting the fork on his plate. “I don’t think I ever get punched... I did get kicked in the balls a few times, but those were accidents.” He paused and tilted his head. “Mostly.”</p><p>Mac laughed, almost snorting coffee out his nose. “In my experience that’s usually not an accident,” he said, scratching Ripley’s head when she sat up and put her head on his thigh. “Then again, I’m usually doing the kicking, not on the receiving end.”</p><p>“Is that so?” Jack asked, raising his eyebrow. “Well, at least you didn’t kick me last night, you were pretty still once you fell asleep.”</p><p>“You mean except wrapping myself around you like an octopus?” Mac asked, smiling when Jack chuckled. It felt... nice, talking and teasing like this, and Mac found himself wanting... more. He wondered what it would be like to kiss Jack, or cuddle up to him when they were both awake. He was also fairly sure that Jack might feel the same way... but he also clearly had some kind of history that he wasn’t willing to share just yet. “Jack? I was wondering...” he started, but chickened out as soon as those enchanting dark eyes turned his way. “Could we maybe snowshoe over to where those cabins used to be? And could you teach me how to snowshoe?”</p><p>“Sure, it ain’t that complicated,” Jack said. “But are you sure you’re up for it? It’s not that far, but I wasn’t kiddin’, it’s freezing outside and after yesterday maybe you should take it easy?”</p><p>“But I’m fine,” Mac argued, hoping he didn’t sound like a stubborn child. “You said it yourself, my clothes were good for this weather... and I’m hoping I won’t slip and fall again.”</p><p>Jack looked at him for a moment, then nods. “Okay, we’ll give it a shot.” He took their dishes into the kitchen, adding over his shoulder, “You might wanna put on a shirt—I’m not complaining about the view, but you’ll be awful cold.”</p><p>Mac felt his cheeks burn as he stood up, grabbing his clothes from where they’d dried near the fire and heading into the bedroom. He got dressed in his own clothes as quickly as he could, knowing Jack would probably be in to change too—and sure enough, he came in after Mac put on his coat and was attempting to tie his sling.</p><p>“You need any help with that?” Jack asked gruffly, but with a note of teasing in his voice.</p><p>Sighing, Mac gave up and nodded, so Jack walked up closer and grabbed the sling. He put his arms around Mac to put it over his shoulder and Mac forced himself to stand still and not do something stupid like kiss Jack.</p><p>“There you go,” Jack murmured once he was done, and Mac swallowed, finding it really hard to look away from Jack’s eyes.</p><p>Mac forced himself to step back, mumbling his thanks as he stumbled out of the bedroom. He felt hot all over and it had nothing to do with his winter clothing. Swallowing hard, he waited with Ripley by the front door for Jack, who emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later.</p><p>“Okay, so snowshoeing is no big deal,” he told Mac, taking the two sets of snowshoes off the wall. They went outside and Jack had Mac lean against the cabin while he crouched down and put the shoes on his boots for him. “Walk around a little bit and try it out.”</p><p>Mac took a tiny step forward, then another one, and slowly started moving. He tripped a little at first, but then he realized that Jack was right and it really was quite easy, and soon he was moving almost normally.</p><p>“See? I told you it ain’t complicated,” Jack called out, and then whistled for Ripley to follow him before he made his way to Mac. “You think you’re ready to go? The burnt cabins are this way,” he said, pointing behind Mac.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m good,” Mac replied, and he and Jack started walking in the direction he indicated. The woods gradually got thicker, just like they were when Mac came upon that hill he wasn’t expecting. Soon they found a road and the snowshoeing was even easier when the surface was flat. “So people really paid to stay in cabins in the middle of nowhere? Wouldn’t it be easier to... I don’t know, pitch a tent?”</p><p>“I think that would be a little too complicated for some of the city folks,” Jack muttered, his breaths coming out in white puffs. “Like I said, when I got here the place had already closed down... but apparently people came here when they needed to disconnect from the real world. Maybe put some distance between them and their problems.” He shrugged and chuckled quietly. “Or maybe I’m readin’ too much into it and they would come here to pretend they’re hikers and in touch with nature.”</p><p>Mac snorted out a laugh and they kept walking. Eventually they reached a large clearing, and through the snow on the ground Mac saw what was left of the burned cabins, including a larger one that must’ve belonged to the owners.</p><p>“So you thinkin’ your old man stayed here?” Jack asked, stepping around a pile of charred boards. “Because this is the only thing that woulda been around those coordinates before I came along.”</p><p>“I have no idea,” Mac said, looking around in search of anything that seemed out of place. “Like I said, I... I don’t know why he would come here, or if he even would enjoy staying at the place like that.” He smiled a little when he saw Ripley sniffing around curiously. “Why would he write those coordinates down?” he asked quietly, talking mostly to himself. “What made this place so interesting?”</p><p>“Well, it’s pretty isolated, but there’s still access to things like food and water, not to mention internet,” Jack started, evidently not opposed to theorizing. He stayed close to Mac but a step or two behind, squinting into the falling snow. “Could he have been hiding from something, and that’s why he left you with your grandfather?”</p><p>“Maybe?” Mac said slowly. “I never thought about that. But what would he have been hiding from? He was... just a scientist.”</p><p>“Are you sure about that?” Jack asked, and Mac looked at him with a frown. “Maybe whatever he was working on got him in some kind of trouble? Or he could’ve been working for the government.” Jack shrugged. “I don’t know, I’m makin’ it up as I go. But I think anything is possible... unless he’s just a dick that decided abandoning you was a great idea.”</p><p>Mac stopped when they stepped inside the footprint of the main cabin, rubble and old belongings strewn around them. If there was anything useful—such as a record of who stayed there—it was buried under layers of snow and ice and might not even be viable anymore. “I don’t think he was just a dick,” Mac admitted, something in his chest aching painfully. “I wanted to after he left like that, but... even with how he changed that wasn’t <em>him</em>, you know?” Snowflakes collected on his eyelashes, but Mac blinked them away just like Jack did. “I can’t ask you to help me look through all this shit, though.”</p><p>“You can and I would help you if you did,” Jack muttered, whistling for Ripley when she wandered too far. “Especially since you wouldn’t get much done with just one arm, but... we’re gonna freeze our hands off if we start digging through that snow.” He crouched down to move some snow aside. “Plenty of ice underneath it. Even if we trick Ripley into thinking there’s something delicious under the snow and get her to dig, she won’t get through the ice.”</p><p>Mac frowned, knowing Jack was right. He glanced around again, eyes lighting on the telltale blue of an acetylene torch in a pile of old tools. “What if we burn it away?”</p><p>Jack followed his line of sight and grinned. “Now you’re thinking. I’ll have to do it, though—wouldn’t want you lighting that cast on fire.” He must’ve felt Mac staring because he paused halfway to getting the torch. “What?”</p><p>“Nothing, just... you seem excited about burning stuff,” Mac said with a smile. “I’m not judging, man, I love blowing shit up, so it’s nice to find someone who understands.”</p><p>Jack chuckled. “I wouldn’t say I <em>love </em>burning things... but there isn’t a lot of exciting things happening around here, so I’ll take what I can get.”</p><p>“What, I’m not exciting?” The question was out of Mac’s mouth before he could stop it, flirty and teasing, and he clamped his lips shut afterward.</p><p>Jack was turned away from him picking up the blowtorch, but when he looked at Mac again he <em>winked</em>. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” he flirted right back, before his voice went serious again. “Where do you want me to start?”</p><p>Mac forced himself to concentrate and not think about how he could flirt with Jack more. “Maybe here?” He pointed at a spot in the middle of the cabin. “Just go slow, so that you don’t burn whatever you find.”</p><p>“Gotcha,” was Jack’s simple reply, and Mac moved back a bit, sitting on what was once a kitchen cabinet to watch Jack work.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t think this through very well, however, because the position he was in meant he got to watch Jack’s ass every time he bent over, which was not helping the flirting situation. Ripley trotted over and sat next to Mac, her tongue lolling out of her head as she yawned, clearly not intrigued by the blue flames coming from the blowtorch. To distract himself from Jack’s ass Mac started scratching Ripley behind her ears with his good hand, smiling when she shifted closer.</p><p>She whined softly and licked his hand when he tried to stop petting her and he heard Jack chuckle. “What have you done to my dangerous dog that everyone’s scared of?” he asked, and when Mac looked up he saw Jack watching them.</p><p>Mac smiled and looped his arm around Ripley’s neck, hugging her. “I don’t know, man,” he replied honestly, scratching her chest with his casted hand. “She’s a sweet dog... I was nice to her, I guess?”</p><p>Jack grunted noncommittally and went back to melting snow, but stopped shortly afterward when the flames bounced off something metal. “Mac? You should come see this.”</p><p>Mac let Ripley go, ignoring her whine of protest, and he stood up. “What is it?” he asked, heading toward Jack, but in his haste to get to him and see what he found, he didn’t notice a branch sticking out from under the snow. His foot caught on it and he squealed when he felt himself falling, but much to his surprise he didn’t hit the ground... because a strong arm wrapped around his waist.</p><p>“Thought you weren’t gonna trip today,” Jack muttered, and when Mac looked up at him Jack was smirking.</p><p>Before Mac knew what he was doing or could talk himself out of it, he leaned up and kissed that smirk right off Jack’s face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter has one (1) redeeming quality and that's Ripley. The rest of it is smut. Oh, and some plot. Barely a smidgen.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The kiss is a little scratchy because of the beard, but Jack’s lips were surprisingly soft and so was the noise he made, something like astonishment. Much to Mac’s relief he didn’t pull away or drop Mac on the ground, just kissed him back and brought his other hand up to touch his cheek. Mac managed to stand on his own and used his good hand to grip Jack’s jacket and pull him even closer. He closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the kiss, their lips parting and meeting again, and then he got a little bolder (he had no idea where that came from) and licked over Jack’s lower lip, slipping his tongue into his mouth when Jack gasped softly.</p><p>He realized suddenly that this was probably the first time Jack had kissed anyone in years and pulled back enough to speak. “Is this okay?”</p><p>“God yes,” Jack breathed out, and he hauled Mac back in again, hands grasping at him like he was desperate for more contact.</p><p>The kiss deepened again almost immediately, and if Jack wasn’t holding him up he’d be weak at the knees. Jack was a <em>fantastic</em> kisser and Mac made a soft sound in the back of his throat when Jack nipped on his lower lip. Their tongues slowly slid together and it felt amazing, but unfortunately Mac’s stupid lungs needed air, so eventually they were forced to break the kiss. They stared at each other for a moment, breathing heavily, and Mac saw... surprise and disbelief in Jack’s eyes.</p><p>“Wow,” Mac whispered, unable to come up with anything else. “That was... wow.”</p><p>Jack kissed him again, softer this time. “I agree,” he murmured, pushing a lock of Mac’s hair behind his ear where it escaped from his beanie. “Wow.” He hesitated, touching Mac’s cheek again, thumb grazing over his lower lip. It was a strange touch with gloves on but Mac leaned into it anyway. “You know that I like you, right? I’m probably not real good at showing it... but I do.”</p><p>Mac smiled. “I know,” he murmured. “But it’s nice to hear anyway.” Kissing Jack was addicting in the best way, so he leaned in again, pressing their lips together. “For the record,” he mumbled against Jack’s mouth. “I like you too.”</p><p>Jack pulled back and there was this vulnerable look in his eyes, but it disappeared when he blinked. “I have no idea why you do, but... I’m glad,” he said quietly. “And as much as I’d love to keep kissin’ you, I think I found something.”</p><p>Mac startled a little when he remembered why he came over in the first place, and they crouched down in the mud together. “What is this?” he muttered, picking up a metal box that was aged with rust. It was heavy and had a padlock keeping it shut.</p><p>“No idea, but it looks important,” Jack commented, flicking the lock with his fingers. “Wanna take it back to my place and crack it open, or keep lookin’ around here?”</p><p>Mac thought for a moment, looking around. “Let’s head back,” he decided. “I’m freezing and now that we found that box... I’m kinda curious about what’s inside.” He stood up and smiled. “You <em>do </em>have tools at your cabin to get this open?”</p><p>Jack snorted. “It’s a cabin on the middle of the woods,” he said, picking up the box. “Of course I have tools.” He whistled for Ripley and they started back to the cabin on the road... but then she stops and tilted her head, and a moment later Jack did too. “I hear snowmobiles,” he said, wrapping a hand around Mac’s good arm and tugging. “We need to get off the road.”</p><p>A chill went up Mac’s back that had nothing to do with the cold and they moved into the trees, crouching down behind some dense bushes just as three snowmobiles went past on the road. They circled where the cabins used to be before coming to a stop, and Mac wondered if these people were there for the same reason he was.</p><p>“What the hell?” Jack muttered quietly, keeping one hand on Ripley to stop her from moving. “No one comes here at this time of the year, especially when the weather is this shitty. And now those guys show up barely a day after you do?” He glanced at Mac, raising his eyebrow. “I don’t think this is a coincidence, hoss.”</p><p>“You think somebody was tracking my movements?” Mac asked, and when Jack nodded he was suddenly thankful he turned off his phone after he called Desi. Even if the weather was bad enough to interfere with cell service, it was better not to risk being tracked to Jack’s cabin via GPS. He watched the men get off their snowmobiles... and grabbed Jack’s arm when he recognized one of them. “Oh my god, that’s Jonah Walsh. He used to work with my dad.”</p><p>“Looks like you’re not the only one lookin’ for your old man,” Jack whispered, and there was something... dark and dangerous in his voice. “And now I’m almost a hundred percent sure that whatever your father was workin’ on was either dangerous or government related... or both.”</p><p>They weren’t close enough to Walsh and the men to hear what they were saying, but they looked around like Mac and Jack did a moment ago. “Let’s go back to your place,” Mac said lowly, touching Jack’s arm. “We don’t want to get spotted by them if they move to another cabin.”</p><p>Jack nodded, and when Walsh and the men had their backs to them they retreated into the woods on their silent snowshoes, Ripley walking next to them. They didn’t speak for a while, not wanting to risk making too much noise, and only when Mac was entirely sure they were safe he exhaled shakily.</p><p>“You okay?” Jack asked.</p><p>“Not really,” Mac murmured, staring ahead. “I... I thought I was just looking for my dad, but it seems like there’s more to his disappearance than I thought.”</p><p>Jack nudged him lightly with his elbow, then handed Mac the box so he could unlock the cabin. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”</p><p>They went inside and got out of their winter gear, Mac’s shoulder relieved to have the sling off of it. “Jack, I... thank you,” Mac said haltingly, glancing at the box where he set it on the couch before looking into Jack’s eyes. “For all of this, I... I don’t know what I’d do without your help.”</p><p>“Hey now,” Jack murmured, stepping closer, but not touching Mac. “You’re smart, I’m sure you would’ve figured it out... but I’m happy to help.”</p><p>Mac swallowed hard, wanting to hug Jack and be close to him more than anything... but he wasn’t sure if Jack still wanted that. “Look, it seems like my little trip just got dangerous,” he said softly. “And you didn’t sign up for this, so I... I totally understand if you want me to go.”</p><p>“Can I tell you something?” Jack asked, and when Mac nodded he took another step closer, so their toes were almost touching. “I kind of missed this. Not the danger, necessarily... but I didn’t realize how boring my life had gotten. Not until I met you.” He reached out slowly, fingers wrapping around Mac’s hand. “And I don’t want you to leave. That’s the last thing I want.”</p><p>Even though Jack’s hand was bigger it somehow fit perfectly in Mac’s, his fingers squeezing gently. “I... I don’t wanna leave either,” Mac said, chuckling a little. “Not that I can leave without freezing to death.” He took a deep breath and searched Jack’s eyes, looking for some hesitation or apprehension, but finding none. “You’re sure?” he asked, and when Jack nodded he moved even closer until their faces were only a few inches apart. “Then could you... maybe kiss me again?”</p><p>“You kissed me the first time,” Jack pointed out, but he leaned in anyway, pressing their lips together.</p><p>Now that there were less clothes and no sling involved, Mac could wrap both arms around Jack’s neck. He smiled when he felt Jack’s hands tentatively settle on his waist, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Mac sighed when their tongues met and he sank into Jack’s embrace when his arms slid around him and pulled him closer. The kiss was slow, no urgency behind it, but it still made Mac feel hot all over. When they had to break apart for air, Mac gently pushed Jack toward the couch, not really feeling like standing after so much walking, and as soon as they were both sitting on the couch, he curled up against Jack’s side and pulled him in for another kiss.</p><p>Jack’s arms wrapped around him, one over his shoulders and his other hand resting on his hip. Just making out had never had this effect on Mac before, and when they broke apart again he was gasping for air. Jack’s lips pressed against his cheek, then his jaw, his beard rubbing against Mac’s skin, and that combined with the feeling of his muscles and the warmth coming off of him was enough to drive Mac crazy. Jack moved to the side of his neck next and Mac tilted his head back to give him better access. He couldn’t hold back the soft moan that escaped his throat when Jack nipped on his skin before sucking a bruise over his pulse point.</p><p>“You’re drivin’ me insane,” Jack mumbled against Mac’s throat, his arm tightening around him.</p><p>“I... was thinking the same thing,” Mac breathed out, one hand exploring Jack’s broad chest, the other one coming up to cup his cheek. “And if I’m not being too forward... maybe we should go into your room?”</p><p>With one final nip Jack pulled away from Mac’s throat and when he looked at him his eyes were wide and much darker than before. “Great idea,” he muttered, kissing Mac’s cheek before standing up... and sliding his hands under Mac’s thighs and effortlessly picking him up.</p><p>Mac made a surprised sound, legs automatically circling Jack’s waist, and he stared down at him, resting his broken arm on Jack’s shoulder. “That’s so hot,” he said, and Jack <em>smirked</em> as he started walking toward the bedroom.</p><p>He kissed Jack’s cheek before dragging his lips to his ear, nibbling at the lobe and nuzzling his skin. Then he laughed when Jack tumbled them into the bed, looming over him and grinning when Mac spread his legs to make room for him. They started kissing again, Jack’s fingers carding through Mac’s hair, a groan escaping him when Mac’s good hand slid up under Jack’s flannel shirt. The muscles of his back were impressive and Mac took his time, exploring it slowly and feeling scars from bullets and knives with his fingertips.</p><p>Jack shuddered under his touch, breaking the kiss for just a few seconds before licking into Mac’s mouth again, kissing him more hungrily than before. Happy to let Jack take the lead, Mac kissed back enthusiastically, getting lost in how good it felt... and then he was startled so badly he almost had a heart attack when the mattress suddenly dipped and a heavy weight plopped down next to them. Ripley made a confused sound and started licking both their faces, clearly thinking she needed to get in on the action.</p><p>“Jesus Christ,” Jack mumbled, pulling back far enough to push Ripley’s head away. “Gotta put you out.” He got off Mac and headed for the door, waiting until Ripley trotted into the hall expectantly before he closed the door. She whined but he ignores it, choosing to take off his shirt before he crawled back on to the bed. “Now, where was I?”</p><p>Mac let his gaze sweep over Jack’s bare, gorgeous chest before grinning at him and pulling him down for another kiss. “Right here,” he mumbled against Jack’s lips, sliding his hand down his chest and loving the soft groan Jack let out.</p><p>“You know what,” Jack started after a moment, biting down on Mac’s lower lip before tugging on his shirt. “I’m feelin’ a little lonely here.”</p><p>Mac faltered for just a second, but he sucked it up and put his arms over his head so Jack could pull his shirt off—the scars were mostly on his back anyway, so it wasn’t like it mattered. He shook his hair out once it was off and Jack made deliberate eye contact with him as he slid one arm underneath Mac’s body, big hand splaying out over scarred skin.</p><p>“You’re just about the prettiest damn thing I’ve ever seen,” he declared, and Mac felt his face burn. “I didn’t notice until I was sure you weren’t hypothermic, but once I did I had to leave the room so I wouldn’t stare at you like a creep while you slept.”</p><p>Mac looked at Jack with wide eyes because it sounded like Jack genuinely meant that. Swallowing hard, he put his good hand on the back of Jack’s neck and pulled him down until their lips were almost touching. “I’m not asleep now, so... you can do whatever you want,” he whispered, and closed the distance between them, moaning when Jack tightened his arm around him and immediately licked into his mouth.</p><p>Jack seemed to have a thing for Mac’s hair, which Mac didn’t mind in the slightest, and after raking his fingers through it again he let that hand travel lower as they kissed. It wandered over Mac’s chest before reaching down to grip his thigh, hitching it up so Jack could grind them together, their cocks lined up through the material of their jeans. That sent fire straight up Mac’s spine and he gasped against Jack’s lips, fingertips digging into his neck.</p><p>“Fuck,” Jack groaned, breaking the kiss to mouth at Mac’s jaw. His breath was hot against Mac’s skin and then Jack rolled his hips down harder, nipping at Mac’s neck.</p><p>“Jack, oh god,” Mac moaned, his heart pounding wildly. “More, Jack, please.”</p><p>Jack let out a growl against his throat and shifted so both his hands could open Mac’s jeans. Mac panted as he lifted his hips so Jack could slide them down, stripping off his own jeans a moment later. That left them both in their underwear and when Jack rocked his hips down into Mac’s again it felt incredible.</p><p>“Shit, Angus,” Jack said against his ear, voice strained. “I don’t know how long this is gonna last, it’s... it’s been a while. What do you want?”</p><p>Mac’s brain was pretty much offline at that point, but he forced himself to think. “I...” he started, but paused to moan when Jack’s hips ground into him again. “I w-want you inside m-me.”</p><p>"I've got lube, but no condoms," Jack said, shuddering against him. "Do you - "</p><p>“My b-backpack,” Mac stuttered out, moaning when Jack shifted just a little to pull back and look at him. “In my backpack... I brought some. Latex is... useful for a lot of things.”</p><p>“If I didn’t know any better I would’ve thought you came into those woods hoping to somehow get laid,” Jack said, grinning and leaning down to kiss the corner of Mac’s mouth.</p><p>Mac rolled his eyes and Jack kissed him again before getting up and walking up to Mac’s backpack. He searched it for a moment and after Mac heard him make a triumphant sound, Jack crawled back on top of him, a wolfish grin on his face. Mac couldn’t help but return that grin and pulled Jack in for another kiss. While Jack reached for his nightstand to get the lube, Mac slid his hands down Jack’s bare back, familiarizing himself with the texture of his skin.</p><p>Then his fingers crept lower, under the waistband of Jack’s underwear, pushing them down until he could grope his ass with both hands. It was a fantastic ass and Jack groaned loudly in Mac’s ear, pushing back into his touch. His broken arm hurt a little in this position, so he rested it on the mattress, leaving only his good hand on Jack’s ass, squeezing it when Jack nipped on his jaw again.</p><p>“Jack,” Mac whined, his hips twitching up, his cock painfully hard. “<em>Please</em>.”</p><p>“Okay, Angus, okay,” Jack murmured, and then he kicked off his own underwear before helping Mac get out of his.</p><p>The skin-on-skin contact was enough to make Mac moan, Jack’s whole body hot and hard against his own. Speaking of things that were hard... Jack was <em>big</em>, cock curved up against his stomach, and Mac’s mouth watered at the idea of getting it inside him. Luckily Jack seemed to be on the same page, because he opened the lube and coated his fingers in it, kissing at the birthmark on Mac’s neck as he teased at his entrance with his index finger. Mac inhaled sharply, his lips parting when Jack slowly pushed his finger inside him.</p><p>“Breathe,” Jack murmured in his ear, nipping on the lobe, and Mac exhaled shakily, his good hand gripping Jack’s biceps. “That’s it,” Jack whispered, and started moving his finger in and out, slowly stretching Mac open.</p><p>It had been a while since Mac had the time or the desire to finger himself, so he took a moment to relax into the sensation. Once he did, he turned his head enough to kiss Jack again, eyes fluttering shut when a second finger slid in next to the first. His breathing hitched when Jack’s fingertips brushed his prostate, and he pulled back to stare at the ceiling with wide eyes, hand back to bruising Jack’s ass cheek.</p><p>“That’s so good,” Mac whispered, hips twitching. “Do... do it again.”</p><p>Jack groaned softly against his cheek and pulled his fingers out and pushing them back inside, finding Mac’s prostate again on the first try. Mac moaned loudly, throwing his head back and trying to fuck himself on Jack’s fingers, and then he cried out when Jack pressed them harder into the spot... and left them there. That made his thighs tremble uncontrollably, the fire low in his belly stoking to a roar.</p><p>“Oh, <em>fuck</em>—Jack, <em>please</em>,” Mac whimpered out, and he wasn’t sure what he was asking for.</p><p>Jack seemed fascinated by his reactions, staring at him with lust-darkened eyes, pulling his fingers back for only a moment before pushing them forward again and stilling. It made Mac’s cock jump and his next breath came out like a sob... and secretly he was turned on by letting Jack have this kind of control. He whimpered, writhing a little as the intense pleasure became almost too overwhelming, and Jack pulled his fingers back, but only to add the third one. He spread them and pushed in deeper, and Mac didn’t even try holding back the desperate sounds leaving his throat.</p><p>“Jack, /Jack/,” he moaned, his hips rolling down. “Please.”</p><p>“You’re so beautiful,” Jack murmured against his cheek, breath hot against Mac’s skin. He withdrew his fingers slowly, and the next thing Mac was aware of besides the loss of sensation was the sound of the condom wrapper tearing.</p><p>There was a part of him that would like to go without it, that wanted to feel <em>all</em> of Jack... but he wasn’t sure if Jack felt the same, so Mac framed it as a suggestion: “I... I have a physical every six months at the Phoenix, and I’m clean. And since you’ve been living out here alone...”</p><p>Jack stilled completely above him and a moment later he looked at Mac, staring at him with huge eyes. “You’re... you’re sure?” he asked in a soft voice, his eyes searching Mac’s face. “Why... why would you trust me this much?”</p><p>“Because you saved me,” Mac whispered, his good hand rising to touch Jack’s cheek. He smiled as he ran his fingertips through his beard, thumb rubbing at his cheekbone. “And I know you don’t believe it, Jack, but... I think you’re a good person. One who had to do some bad things, but... that doesn’t mean you deserve to be alone forever.”</p><p>Jack’s breath hitched and he leaned down to press their foreheads together. “I haven’t told you why I’m leaving here alone,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “And you... figured it out and yet you still want... this?”</p><p>“Of course I do,” Mac murmured, tilting his head to nuzzle Jack’s cheek. “I mean it, Jack, I... I think you’re amazing. And I really want this with you.”</p><p>Jack let out a shaky sigh and gave Mac a kiss on the lips. “Okay... if you’re sure, then I’m game.”</p><p>He grabbed the lube again and got his cock slick before lining himself up between Mac’s legs. The first push in was slow and intense, just this side of too much, and Mac’s eyes rolled back in his head with how <em>good </em>it felt. He wrapped an arm around Jack’s neck to keep him close and whimpered when he bottoms out, stretched and filled to the brim. He closed his eyes and tilted his head to bury his face in Jack’s neck, forcing himself to breathe as he got used to the stretch.</p><p>He felt how tense Jack was above him, muscles trembling with the effort to stay still, and after a moment Mac pressed a soft kiss to his skin. “You can move, Jack,” he whispered. “Please.”</p><p>Jack’s hips drew back tentatively before pushing forward again, both of them groaning as Mac clenched around him. Jack slid both arms around him this time, holding him impossibly close as he started fucking him in a steady rhythm, teeth occasionally grazing Mac’s ear or his neck. “You feel so good, Angus,” he whispered in a wrecked voice, trying to find Mac’s prostate. “So fucking good, Jesus.”</p><p>Mac was too out of breath to respond and he cried out sharply when Jack hit his prostate a moment later. He put his broken arm above his head so it didn’t get in the way and used the good one to cling to Jack, fingernails digging into his back. “Oh god,” he choked out when Jack found his prostate again and again. “J-Jack, please. H-harder.”</p><p>Jack’s face was buried in his shoulder so he didn’t respond verbally, but his hips did. He started slamming into Mac in earnest, squeezing him tightly as he drove in hard and fast. There was a rough, almost animalistic edge to his movements that Mac adored, and he wondered in between brain-melting strikes to his prostate if he could get Jack to fuck him like this for the rest of the day. He cried out with every slam of Jack’s hips and he wrapped both legs around his waist, needing Jack’s heavy, strong body as close as possible. Jack panted into his shoulder, his breath hot on Mac’s skin while he pounded into Mac like a well-oiled machine. It was easily the best sex Mac had ever had and he really didn’t want it to end... but he knew that wasn’t possible.</p><p>Jack spoke for the first time in a while, his words little more than a growl in Mac’s ear. “Can you come like this, Angus? Will you come just from my cock?”</p><p>“Yes,” Mac gasped out, pleasure coiling tight in his gut. “<em>Oh</em>, Jack, please don’t stop.”</p><p>“M’not plannin’ on it, sweetheart,” Jack rumbled, one hand sliding up Mac’s back to fist in his hair as he continued to thrust in and out brutally. “I’ve got a pretty quick refractory time—hell, sometimes I come and stay hard. You’re in for a treat.”</p><p>Mac moaned loudly and then sobbed when Jack slammed into his prostate a few times in a row. His imagination worked overtime, the fantasy of Jack continuing to fuck him for a long time becoming a real possibility, and Mac just couldn’t wait. “Oh, oh, <em>Jack</em>,” he cried out, and then he came with a loud shout, clenching around Jack’s cock as he painted their stomachs and chests with his come.</p><p>Jack’s hips stuttered out of rhythm and he made an almost pained noise, hauling Mac in as tight as he could and pumping into him a few more times before he fell over the edge. Mac whimpered when he felt Jack’s hot come flood inside him... and realized that after he was done twitching with aftershocks, Jack’s cock was still rock hard, even if he’d stilled for the moment.</p><p>“Fuck, that was amazing,” Jack mumbled, and he should’ve been crushing Mac with his weight, but it didn’t feel like that at all.</p><p>“Mhmm,” Mac hummed in response, his legs falling back on the mattress. He kept his arm wrapped around Jack, though, staring at the ceiling and trying to catch his breath. “It was... fantastic,” he mumbled, turning his head to kiss Jack’s temple. “And I don’t think you’re done.”</p><p>“I can wait a minute,” Jack said, his voice like sandpaper, mimicking the way his beard rubbed on Mac’s skin. “Do you want me to...?”</p><p>He trailed off but shifts like he was going to pull out, and Mac clung tighter. “No, you don’t have to,” Mac rushed to say, his cheeks going red. “I... I like how it feels.”</p><p>“Alright,” Jack murmured, not teasing Mac about it like some might, and he relaxed on top of him, nuzzling his neck.</p><p>The hand that was gripping Mac’s hair was now gently combing through it, and it was such a... sweet thing to do that it made Mac’s heart flutter. Something occurs to Mac, and he tried and failed to stifle a giggle. Jack made a questioning sound but didn’t lift his head, so Mac explained, “I just realized we never opened the box—we went straight from investigating to fucking.”</p><p>Jack was quiet for a second and then he chuckled, his chest vibrating with the sound. “You’re right,” he said. “Though to be fair... it was you who pushed me to the couch and then wanted to switch to the bed.”</p><p>“True,” Mac said, unable to stop himself from grinning. “I’ll happily take the blame here.”</p><p>Jack pressed a smile against his cheek, kissing him there a second later. He rocked his hips experimentally, a hand sliding underneath Mac’s ass, fingertips feeling at where they were joined. “Good, because I think you deserve it,” he said, nipping on the soft skin behind Mac’s ear. “What else you think you deserve, huh? I’ll give it to you, all you gotta do is tell me to.”</p><p>Mac gasped, whimpering softly when Jack’s fingers pressed a little harder at the flesh stretched around his cock, rubbing it teasingly. He was nowhere near being hard again, but he thought he could get it up soon and that was enough to make him shiver. “Jack, please,” he whispered, swallowing hard when Jack sucked on his earlobe.</p><p>“Please what, baby?” Jack asked, his hips twitching just a bit, and even though Mac couldn’t see his face he could tell he was grinning.</p><p>“F-Fuck me again, please,” he whimpered, his voice breaking. “Please.”</p><p>“Mhmm, I think I can do that,” Jack murmured, squeezing Mac’s ass cheek hard enough to hurt a bit. He loved the spark of pain and moaned with it. He thought for a moment that Jack didn’t notice and attributed the noise to the slow movements of his hips... but he was wrong. “So you like it a little rough, huh?” Jack bit at his birthmark while he spoke. “You want me to do something different this time around?”</p><p>“Not usually, but I like it with you,” Mac whispered, feeling his cheeks burn. While he always had a bit of a strength kink, he was never that much into rough sex... but it was different with Jack. “A lot.” He swallowed hard, moaning softly when Jack started sucking a bruise into his skin. “What... what did you have in mind?”</p><p>“Maybe something like this?” Jack suggested, and he grabbed Mac by the shoulders—carefully, so he didn’t jostle his arm—and pulled out, rolling Mac over so he was on his stomach. Then he grasped Mac’s hips and drew them up until he was on his knees, face pressed against his good arm. He didn’t thrust back in right away like Mac expected—instead he smacked his ass with the flat of his hand, hard enough to sting. “You like that?”</p><p>In case the scream he let out wasn’t a good enough answer for Jack, Mac nodded as much as he could in that position. “Yeah, I d-do—” he started in a trembling voice, and he cut off and let out another shout when Jack smacked his other ass cheek, just as hard.</p><p>“Oh, you’re gonna be so good for me,” Jack growled, spanking Mac again before lining up against his entrance and pushing back inside, eased in by his own come leaking out of Mac.</p><p>Mac moaned, spreading his knees a bit for better balance and to let Jack get that much deeper. He started up a steady, grinding pace that had Mac whimpering and begging in minutes. “J-Jack, please,” he stuttered out, gasping when Jack thrust in <em>hard </em>and smacked his ass at the same time. “More, I need more.”</p><p>“That’s it, Angus, I wanna hear you,” Jack panted, leaning down to kiss and bite at the scars that crisscrossed Mac’s shoulders. “Tell me how much you like my cock.” Mac moaned brokenly, absently realizing that all of his scars were on display... and Jack didn’t seem to care, judging by the way he kept mouthing at his shoulders. His hips didn’t slow down, pounding into him at a steady, brutal pace, and making Mac see stars and cry out with every thrust. “You’re so good for me, baby,” Jack mumbled, slamming into Mac and hitting his prostate. “So fucking good.”</p><p>By now Mac was hard again, cock grinding against the mattress since Jack’s weight pushed him to lay down. That changed the angle of his thrusts too, and that combined with the words spilling from Jack’s mouth were enough to make Mac scream the next time he hit his prostate dead on. His whole body felt like a livewire of pleasure, and he’d never gotten this close to a second orgasm so quickly.</p><p>“You gonna come again?” Jack growled into his ear, pushing his arm under Mac’s chest and holding him tightly. “What if I told you you’re not allowed to until I say so?”</p><p>Mac shuddered in Jack’s grip, the fingers of his good hand tightening in the sheets. “O-Okay, I won’t,” he promised, just like that.</p><p>And then he yelped in surprise when Jack rolls them over, so he was on his back and Mac was sprawled over his chest, legs on either side of Jack’s hips. Jack started hammering into him from underneath, one arm around Mac’s waist and the other supporting his casted arm. It was such a thoughtful gesture, but Mac didn’t have enough brainpower to really think about it. It was unbelievable how <em>strong</em> Jack was, his thrusts just as hard and brutal as they were when he was on top of Mac, and that turned Mac on more than he ever thought it might. He was moaning and crying out whenever Jack hit his prostate—which was almost all the time—and even though he was so close, he forced himself not to come, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes, involuntary tears rolling down his temples. Jack’s lips touched his ear, then his cheek—and he must’ve felt the wetness there because his pace faltered.</p><p>“Don’t stop,” Mac whimpered, his good hand grabbing on to Jack’s forearm hard enough to bruise.</p><p>“Fuck, Angus,” Jack groaned out, picking up the pace again. “You can come now, go on—I want you to.”</p><p>Mac let out a broken sob and a part of him wanted to draw it out, make it last longer, but he couldn’t. It only took a couple more of those brutal thrust for Mac to come for a second time, arching off Jack with a loud shout as he came all over his chest. Jack followed him over the edge a second later, making a long, low noise in Mac’s ear as he came inside him. This time Jack ground inside him for what feels like an hour, hands holding Mac’s hips steady as he worked through his orgasm and finally went soft.</p><p>They both laid there for a minute trying to remember how to breathe, and then Jack rubbed his hands over Mac’s thighs and asked softly, “You okay?”</p><p>Mac swallowed, trying to find his voice, so he just nodded at first. “Y-Yeah, I’m good,” he eventually whispered, shivering a little on top of Jack.</p><p>Jack must have felt that because he wrapped his arms around him and gently rolled them on their sides, pulling out and hugging Mac close, his chest pressed into Mac’s back. “Are you sure?” he murmured, lips moving against the back of Mac’s neck. “I didn’t... I didn’t hurt you, right?”</p><p>Mac frowned in confusion. “What? No, of course not.” He snuggled into Jack’s embrace, smiling when his beard tickled his skin. “If anything, you probably kept me from hurting myself a few times there—I wasn’t exactly paying attention to where my cast was going.” He thought for a moment, slotting his fingers through Jack’s where they rested against his sticky stomach. “<em>You’re</em> okay, right? I know it’s probably been... a while since you were this close to someone.”</p><p>“That obvious, huh?” Jack muttered, pressing a soft kiss to his skin. “I’m okay, but... you’re right. It’s been... a long time.” He nuzzled Mac’s neck and sighed. “Look, I don’t want you to think I lure strangers into my cabin to have my way with them. I don’t do that, I swear. If anything, I usually try to scare people away.”</p><p>Mac started to turn over so he could face Jack, and Jack rolled to his back so Mac was draped over him again, this time on his front. It took the pressure off Mac’s broken arm and his smile widened as he leaned in to press a kiss to Jack’s mouth. “I didn’t think that,” he said, good hand coming up to touch Jack’s cheek. “But I also didn’t think you were scary. A little... rough around the edges, maybe, but not scary.”</p><p>Jack smiled at him, one hand stroking up and down Mac’s back before casually resting on his ass. “You’re something else,” he murmured, bringing his other hand up to push some of Mac’s hair out of his eyes. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”</p><p>“I’m gonna take that as a compliment,” Mac said, and then made a face. “Can we take a shower? Our skin is sticking together.”</p><p>“Good idea,” Jack replied, and then... somehow he was carrying Mac into the bathroom.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In this chapter: Riley and Matty! More clues! And the start of some more sexy times. ;)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jack managed to shut the bathroom door behind them before Ripley could barge in, ignoring the whining on the other side. “I swear, that dog would sit in my damn lap all the time if I let her.” He set Mac down on his feet in the shower, then grabbed some plastic from the first aid kit under the sink and wrapped his cast before turning on the water, which was surprisingly warm. In response to his silent question, Jack said, “I’ve got the best on-demand water heater money can buy. Got tired of cold showers in the Army.”</p><p>“Oh god, I know what you mean,” Mac muttered, moaning when the warm water hit his skin. He drifted toward Jack, pressing himself close to him, not to start anything, just... enjoying his presence. “You mentioned you went back to the army after being at the CIA, why? Got tired of being a spy?”</p><p>Jack’s arms slipped around Mac, so clearly he didn’t mind the intimacy. “Got forced out, actually,” he said, a wry note in his voice. “And the person who did the forcing was none other than your boss, Matty Webber. Don’t think she had much choice—pretty sure the orders came from upstairs—but it took me a long time to forgive her for that.”</p><p>“Were you two close?” Mac asked, tilting his head curiously, wondering if maybe...</p><p>“Not in the way you’re implying,” Jack said, grinning a little. “But she was... a friend. A very good one and one that I trusted... and you know how hard something like that is to find in the government work. Especially at the CIA where everyone pretends to get along, but won’t hesitate to stab you in your back for their own profit.”</p><p>“Yeah, I... I do know something about that,” Mac said quietly, pressing his face against Jack’s neck. “I had a... girlfriend, before Desi and I tried dating. Her name was Nikki, and she... well, she betrayed us. Shot me in the shoulder and I almost drowned, among a whole bunch of other things. Our boss before Matty was a traitor too.” He tilted his head as he reconsidered. “Well, technically Nikki was working for the CIA and betrayed us to keep her cover... which doesn’t change a damn thing and proves what you just said.”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Jack murmured, turning his head to kiss Mac’s temple. “I know how awful that must’ve been.”</p><p>“It was a few years ago now, but... it’s part of the reason I haven’t gotten close to anyone in a while,” Mac admitted, letting his eyes fall shut. “And in this line of work, options are pretty limited. I tried to keep my best friend, Bozer, out of the life, but that didn’t work out, and Desi and I recruited Riley from jail, so...” He felt Jack tense against him and pulled back a little. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>“Nothin’, I just...” Jack exhaled shakily. “The woman I dated years ago had a daughter named Riley and I... I loved her like my own.” He smiled sadly. “I haven’t seen her after her mother and I split, I don’t even know where she is right now.” He sighed. “I guess hearing that name brings back memories.”</p><p>“Maybe we could help you find her?” Mac offered, cupping Jack’s cheek with his good hand. “Our Riley is a hacker, she can find anyone.”</p><p>Jack stared at him, completely frozen. “What’s... what’s your Riley’s last name?”</p><p>“Davis,” Mac replied, eyebrows furrowing. “She’s got black hair, dark eyes... you don’t think...?”</p><p>“It sounds an awful lot like her,” Jack whispered, and the combination of pain and longing in his voice made Mac’s heart clench. “I don’t know if she’d even wanna talk to me after the way I left.”</p><p>“Why?” Mac asked softly. “What happened?”</p><p>Jack sighed again. “I... I dated Diane when I was at the CIA. They obviously didn’t know about it, they thought I was a bathroom tile salesman.” He snorted. “I hated that cover. Anyway, Diane’s ex, Riley’s dad, was a real asshole and he came over one night, completely drunk... I told him to go to hell and when he didn’t listen we got into a fight. I beat the shit outta him.” He turned his gaze away, a sad grimace showing up on his face. “Diane was scared of me after that. So I... I left. Riley was twelve then.”</p><p>“But... you were defending her,” Mac said slowly, thumb rubbing over Jack’s cheekbone. “Why would—what, she thought because you hurt him you’d turn on her? Or Riley?” When Jack just nods, Mac felt a spark of anger toward Diane—he met her once on a mission, and if he saw her again she would get a piece of his mind. “I think now that the storm’s died down a little we could video chat with Riley... if you wanted to?”</p><p>“Maybe,” Jack said hesitantly. “But if I’m gonna do that, I should probably shave... and we should find out what’s in that box we found first. That way if you need help looking for your old man, we could loop her in.”</p><p>Mac smiled a little. “You don’t have to shave if you don’t want to,” he murmured. “I’m sure she won’t mind the beard.” He leaned in to press a kiss to Jack’s lips. “You do have a point about the box, though. And now that you’re not fucking my brains out... I’m actually curious about what’s inside.”</p><p>Jack laughed when he heard that, which was the goal, and they finished getting cleaned off and headed back into the bedroom to put on some clothes. Walking around naked just wasn’t an option, because even with the fireplace roaring the cabin was still chilly. Mac was tempted to steal Jack’s flannel shirt, but he put it on before Mac could grab for it, handing him some sweatpants and an oversized hoodie to wear.</p><p>The hoodie smelled like Jack and the sleeves hung over Mac’s hands, and he swore he’d never felt so comfortable... or safe. “What?” he asked when he caught Jack staring at him.</p><p>“Nothin’,” Jack said with a smile. “You just... look adorable in my hoodie. Also hot, but mostly adorable.”</p><p>Mac felt his face burn and he punched Jack’s shoulder lightly with his good hand. “You’re insane,” he mumbled, stepping out of the bedroom... and he was startled by Ripley lunging at him, whining and trying to lick his face. He felt Jack run into his back, but thankfully he was able to grab Mac’s waist and keep them all from falling down. “Ripley, hey, it’s okay,” Mac soothed, letting her plant her paws on his shoulders so she could stand, petting her head and back. “Did you think we died or something?”</p><p>“From all your screaming she probably thought I was killin’ you,” Jack muttered from behind him.</p><p>Mac snorted, scratching Ripley behind her ears. “We’re just fine, see?” he told her, smiling when she started sniffing him. “Yes, that’s Jack’s hoodie, you’re right.” Seeming satisfied that Mac was in one piece, Ripley got back down on the floor and led the way out to the living room. Mac picked up the box and sat down on the couch to examine the lock, aching in the best way as he leaned back against the cushions. “Okay, this is a combination lock so I can’t pick it.” He looked at Jack. “I don’t suppose you have a pair of bolt cutters handy?”</p><p>Jack grinned at him. “What did I tell you? I have all kinds of tools.” He went back into the hallway and Mac heard him open a big dresser that he saw there earlier. In the meantime Ripley hopped on the couch and put her head on Mac’s thigh, stretching herself so that she took up the rest of the couch. When Jack came back he carried a small bolt cutters and a pair of pliers to hold the lock steady. He paused before he sat down on the couch, shaking his head a little. “You two are adorable.”</p><p>“Mhmm, I think that’s mostly Ripley,” Mac said, but he smiled at the compliment anyway. “I’ll hold the box steady—that’s all I can do with this cast on my arm.”</p><p>“Alright, I’ll do the cutting,” Jack agreed, shifting on the couch until the box was right in front of him. “You ready?”</p><p>When Mac nodded he grabbed the bolt cutters and the pliers, studying the lock for a moment before carefully trying it get it open. He was clearly trying not to move the box too much, not wanting to hurt Mac, but he had to apply more pressure... and then the lock snapped open. Jack made a victorious sound and tossed the tools down on the carpet, pulling the broken lock off the box and doing the same.</p><p>Mac pushed up the lid... and was confronted with a large pile of paper. He examined the top one and a spark of hope lit in his chest. “The people who ran this place were old school... these are lodging records for all the people who stayed there, and they go back through the last couple decades.”</p><p>“That’s good, right?” Jack asked, taking the pile out of the box. “You can at least check if your old man was actually here all those years ago.” He thought for a moment. “I mean, unless he used an alias or somethin’.”</p><p>“If he did then he hopefully picked something that would somehow still sound like him,” Mac muttered. “I guess we should start with the month and year when he left.” He told Jack the date of his tenth birthday and they divided up what was left of the pile. Jack tried to hide it, but when he heard the year that Mac was ten a strange look crossed his face, gone as quickly as it came, but it... wasn’t positive. “What was that?” Mac asked, cocking his head to one side. “You just made a face like you smelled something bad.”</p><p>Jack’s eyes widened and for a moment he looked like a deer caught in headlights—a very attractive one, but still. “Nothing, it’s just...” He cleared his throat. “I... I was twenty-five that year,” he said quietly, not meeting Mac’s gaze. “And you... you were ten.” He chuckled bitterly. “You were a kid and I had already been in the army for a while.”</p><p>Mac blinked in surprise, because he hadn’t thought of it that way, but clearly their age difference meant something to Jack. “I was pretty smart for my age,” he said, flipping through the guest records and trying to be casual. He didn’t give a shit that there was fifteen years between them, but he didn’t want to be dismissive either. “I wound up graduating high school at sixteen.”</p><p>“Why am I not surprised?” Jack asked with a smile, but it was weak and it didn’t reach his eyes. He looked away again, glancing at the records, but Mac could tell he wasn’t reading them. “So you’re...” Jack started after a moment. “The age difference... doesn’t bother you?”</p><p>Mac sighed and clambered over until he sat in Jack’s lap, placing the records on the couch for the moment. “Jack, when I first saw you there was no way I would’ve guessed how old you are,” he said softly, framing Jack’s face with his hands. “You’re gorgeous and funny and smart, and you saved my life. I don’t have a problem with it, and if other people do? Fuck them.”</p><p>Jack blinked at him a few times, shock written all over his face. “God, you’re incredible,” he breathed out, and leaned in to press their lips together in a short, sweet kiss. Before Mac could reply Ripley shifted on the couch and moved closer until she was pressed against Jack’s side, resting her head on his bicep and looking up at him with huge eyes. Jack rolled his eyes and said dryly, “Dog, if you think I’m kissin’ you too, you’re sorely mistaken.”</p><p>Mac snickered a little, he couldn’t help it, and shifted so he leaned back against Jack’s shoulder and they could both flip through the documents. It wasn’t until they got to guest records from about three years ago that Mac saw something that made him pause. “Wait a minute... this is a reservation for someone named Jim Hayes,” he said. “My... my mom’s maiden name was Hayes.”</p><p>“And your father’s first name?” Jack asked, glancing at him.</p><p>“It’s James, so it adds up,” Mac replied, his heart beating faster because this was the first real clue he’d found about his dad.</p><p>“He must’ve been here right before the place burned down,” Jack said. “When I moved here it was already gone and that was also about three years ago.” He shifted some papers around. “It looks like he was one of the last guests before it shut down.”</p><p>“Did anybody ever say anything specific about the fire?” Mac asked. “Like if it was arson?”</p><p>“It definitely wasn’t accidental, not with how completely everything burned,” Jack mused, raising an eyebrow. “You think maybe your old man set the place on fire? Why?”</p><p>“He might’ve had to cover his tracks if somebody besides Walsh was after him,” Mac said, excitement creeping into his voice. “I wonder if he ever used this alias again?”</p><p>Jack faltered a little, swallowing hard. “I guess that’s... that’s a question for Riley,” he said quietly. “You said so yourself, she can find anyone.” He took a deep breath. “The internet should be working now, it ain’t snowing that badly. If you wanna video chat with her you... can use my laptop.”</p><p>“Yeah? And what are you gonna do?” Mac asked, moving so he could see Jack’s face. “Hide in the corner?”</p><p>“Part of me feels like I should,” Jack admitted, one hand sliding up Mac’s back to card through his hair. “But another part of me feels like I’ve been hiding for long enough, you know?”</p><p>“I won’t pressure you into anything, but... I really think reconnecting with her might be good for you. Both of you,” Mac said softly, kissing Jack’s cheek before glancing at the watch on Jack’s wrist. “Riley’s probably at the Phoenix now... which means that if we call her there, Matty’s also gonna be there. You okay with facing her?”</p><p>“Yeah, I think that’ll be okay,” Jack said, nodding a little. He put his hands on Mac’s hips and moved him to the next cushion. “Let me go grab my laptop.”</p><p>He got up and started shifting things around, moving books and magazines until he came up with the device. He brought it back to Mac, who powered it on and used Jack’s WiFi to piggyback into the secure Phoenix network. After that he placed a call to Riley... and hoped she wasn’t out on an assignment. Jack wandered around the cabin out of the camera’s reach, and Mac let him be for now.</p><p>A moment later the screen flickered and Riley’s frowning face appeared, although she smiled as soon as she recognized him. “Mac, hey!” she said, and Mac could tell she was in the war room, sitting in one of the armchairs. “How’s the search going, where are you? Desi said you got ‘a little banged up’.” She used air quotes here, giving him a pointed look. “Judging by that cast you downplayed it a little when you talked to her.”</p><p>Mac smiled back, flexing his fingers before he pushed his damp hair out of his face with his other hand. “Maybe a bit,” he said, then chewed on the inside of his cheek. “So I found another clue that might lead to my dad... but there’s something else I need to talk to you about first.”</p><p>“What is it?” Riley asked, tilting her head curiously.</p><p>“When I slipped and fell I hit my head on a rock or something... and it knocked me out,” Mac started. “Thankfully someone found me, saved my life... and then offered me a place to stay.” He gestured around and he was unable to hold back a smile. “And I know it’s one hell of a coincidence... but I think you know that someone.”</p><p>Riley frowned a little and Mac looked up, giving Jack a reassuring look... and a moment later he walked up to him, sitting down on the couch next to Mac, now clearly visible on the camera.</p><p>Riley gasped, one hand covering her mouth a second later, tears welling in her eyes. “Jack?” she whispered from between her fingers, shaky but hopeful.</p><p>Beside Mac, Jack started blinking hard and nodding. “Yeah, baby girl, it’s... it’s me,” he said, swiping the back of one hand over his cheek. “I’m so sorry, Riles. I didn’t want to leave you, I swear—and your ma made it very clear that she never wanted me seein’ you again.”</p><p>“What?” Riley asked, wiping her eyes with her hands, her eyeliner smudging just a bit. “Why would she do that? She... she told me you left.”</p><p>Mac’s heart broke for both Jack and Riley, especially when he heard Jack make a soft sound in the back of his throat. “I... I did leave, Ri,” he said quietly. “You remember what happened before that? When I—”</p><p>“Yeah, you kicked Elwood’s ass because he was bothering us again,” Riley interjected, sniffling, but she didn’t sound mad about Jack beating up her dad at all.</p><p>“I did,” Jack confirmed with a sad smile. “And your mom was... she didn’t trust me after that. And she kicked me out.”</p><p>“But I don’t understand, it’s not like you would’ve hurt us,” Riley said, her voice cracking. She tapped at her keyboard. “So you’re living in... the middle of nowhere now?”</p><p>“Yeah, for about three years now, since I got out of the Army for the second time,” Jack replied, his tears seeming to dry. “Mac, why don’t you tell her what you found out about your dad?”</p><p>Mac didn’t miss how Jack called him Mac now that it wasn’t just the two of them, and even though it was a tiny thing... it made his heart burst. He quickly filled Riley in on what they found and her fingers started dancing on the keyboard before he was even done talking.</p><p>“Alright, let’s find Mr. Jim Hayes,” she muttered, her voice going back to normal. “If your dad used that alias anywhere else, we’ll find him.” Ripley was intrigued by Riley’s voice and she attempted to crawl into Mac’s lap to get a look at the screen. When Riley glanced up again she startled a little and said, “Whoa! Who’s your friend?”</p><p>“This is Ripley,” Jack said, smiling a little as he scratched the dog’s head. “Like—”</p><p>“Ellen Ripley, from <em>Alien</em>?” Riley interjected, grinning widely. “You mean the scary movie you weren’t supposed to let me watch but you totally did anyway?”</p><p>“Exactly,” Jack said, his smile widening, and Mac was so happy for both Jack and Riley, glad they were getting along. “You loved that movie.”</p><p>“I did,” Riley confirmed, leaning in closer to the screen. “Damn, she’s huge! Jack, are you sure that’s a dog or did you adopt a wolf by accident?”</p><p>“Knowing Dalton he probably found an injured baby wolf and nursed it back to health,” Matty said as she entered the war room, and Mac hoped that her arrival wouldn’t kill Jack’s good mood. To his surprise she smiled at the screen. “God knows he’s just a big teddy bear—hello, Jack.”</p><p>“Hey, Matty,” Jack said quietly, smiling too. “I’m gonna take full offense to that, since I’m nobody’s idea of a teddy bear.”</p><p>Before Mac could respectfully disagree, Riley made a confused sound. “Wait,” she said, looking between Matty and Jack on the screen. “You guys know each other?”</p><p>“We go way back.” Matty was the one to reply, and Mac was shocked when he saw the smile on her face turn sad. “And I’m afraid Jack probably doesn’t have the best memories about the last time we saw each other. I’m really sorry about it, Jack,” she said, and Mac’s jaw dropped a little because this side of Matty didn’t come out often. “My hands were tied.”</p><p>Jack returned Matty’s sad smile, rubbing a hand over his beard before he replied, “I know that, Matty. Took a while, but I forgave you.”</p><p>“Guys, I’ve got something,” Riley said, her fingers back on the keyboard. She filled Matty in quickly, then said, “After the cabins burned down Jim Hayes didn’t do anything for a few years, but according to what I just found that name is on the lease for a warehouse in Boston.”</p><p>“Boston?” Mac asked, frowning a little. “Does it say anywhere what’s stored in that warehouse?”</p><p>More clicking of the keyboard. “No,” Riley said. “But the warehouse is huge.”</p><p>“Okay,” Mac said, nodding. “Looks like Boston should be my next stop.”</p><p>“Maybe,” Jack mused, looking deep in thought. “Riles, do me a favor and look up a fella named Jonah Walsh, would you?” He winced. “I guess now would be the time to tell you I was never a bathroom tile salesman?”</p><p>Riley rolled her eyes. “Jack, did you honestly think I <em>ever</em> believed that story? I was twelve, not stupid.”</p><p>“Wait, Mac, isn’t Jonah Walsh the man who worked with your father?” Matty asked, and when Mac nodded, she continued, “How does Dalton know about him? Have you seen him?”</p><p>“He was at the cabins around the same time we were,” Mac said, realizing he left that part out of the story he told Riley. “I think he might’ve broken into my house and found the coordinates.”</p><p>“Did he see you?” Matty asked, concern audible in her voice.</p><p>“Nah,” Jack said, shaking his head. “We hid in the woods just in time. I think it’s safe to say he’s also lookin’ for Mac’s old man... and he brought a small squad along with him.”</p><p>“Is there any way for him to find you?” Riley asked worriedly.</p><p>Jack smiled at her before exchanging a look with Mac. “I don’t think so? Even if they knock on my door I’m gonna tell them I haven’t seen anything and Ripley’s gonna growl like she wants to eat them.”</p><p>Matty and Riley both relaxed a little, and Mac said, “Unfortunately even if I wanted to I don’t think I can get out of here until tomorrow at the earliest. It’s still snowing, and the weather will only get worse once the sun starts to go down.”</p><p>“That’s fine, it gives me time to coordinate your backup,” Matty said, and then she looked at Jack. “Are you going with him, Dalton?”</p><p>Mac blinked in surprise because for some reason he didn’t consider that. He would love if Jack came with him, but he couldn’t expect Jack to just abandon his cabin for him after knowing him for barely a day.</p><p>“I... I don’t know,” Jack said quietly, and when Mac glanced at him he found Jack looking at him already. “If you want me to go, I will.”</p><p>“Really?” Mac whispered, and he wanted so badly to reach for Jack’s hand but he wasn’t sure if he should. “Jack, I... I can’t ask you do that. You’ve been up here for so long... what if going somewhere with people triggers your PTSD?”</p><p>“I told you, Mac, when I met you I realized exactly how boring my life had gotten,” Jack replied, a little smile on his face... and the rest of the world fell away for a minute. “Ripley’s gotta come with us, though. I think she’s pretty attached to you.”</p><p>“Yeah, of course,” Mac said, hugging Ripley who was sprawled on his lap. “I’d never want to leave her.”</p><p>They stared at each other for a moment, smiling softly... until Matty cleared her throat, making them both jump. “Now that we have that cleared up,” she started, smirking when they looked at her, and Riley was also watching them with a knowing look on her face. “Let us know when the weather gets better and you can get going, okay?”</p><p>“Yes ma’am,” Mac and Jack said in unison, which made Matty’s eyebrows rise and Riley giggle.</p><p>They ended the call a moment later, and Mac set the laptop on the trunk in front of the couch—and then he found himself practically crushed in Jack’s embrace. “Thank you,” Jack murmured in his ear, his voice unsteady. “Thank you for bringin’ her back to me.”</p><p>Ripley wound up squashed between them and she whined before wriggling out and hopping off the couch. “I didn’t really do anything,” Mac whispered, wrapping his good arm around Jack and squeezing tightly. “It was a coincidence... but I’m so glad you guys found each other again.” He turned his head to press his lips to Jack’s temple. “You deserve to be happy, Jack.”</p><p>Jack pressed his face into Mac’s neck and didn’t respond, but the fine tremor running through his body told Mac he was trying not to cry. When he pulled back he wiped his eyes discreetly before clearing his throat to ask, “Think you can handle putting some leftovers in the microwave for lunch? I... I’m not gonna shave to the skin, but I think I’d like to cut the dead raccoon on my face down a little.”</p><p>Mac’s lips twitched upward when he remembered the comment he made yesterday about Jack’s beard, and he nodded. “Sure, I can do that.”</p><p>“Thanks, darlin’,” Jack murmured, and leaned in to kiss Mac’s cheek.</p><p>They both got up and Jack headed toward the bathroom while Mac walked to the kitchen, followed by Ripley watching his every move, waggling her tail happily. Trying not to trip over her, Mac opened the fridge and took out the food from the day before, putting it into the microwave and turning it on. It didn’t explode, so Mac congratulated himself internally and leaned against the counter, smiling when Ripley pressed her head against his hip and stared up at him.</p><p>“You have your bowl, girl,” he murmured, scratching behind her ears. “Stop begging.”</p><p>She watched him with those big amber eyes and licked his wrist, and a pang went through Mac’s chest as he realized how slim the chances were of him and Jack ever crossing paths, let alone things working out this way. He swallowed hard and dished out the leftovers once they were hot, giving Ripley another meatball when he couldn’t stand her whining anymore. He heard Jack’s footsteps behind him and turned, freezing when he saw how Jack looked with a much shorter beard on his face.</p><p>“What?” Jack asked, smiling as he walked up closer, gently pushing Ripley away to put his hands on Mac’s hips.</p><p>“Nothing, just...” Mac started, reaching to brush his fingers over Jack’s beard. “I thought you were hot before, but... now you’re even more gorgeous.”</p><p>To Mac’s delight Jack <em>blushed</em>, his cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink that he tried to hide by ducking his head. “Stop it,” he mumbled, tugging Mac in close to kiss him.</p><p>It was much easier to do now that the beard wasn’t in the way, and Mac slipped his good arm around Jack’s neck and his tongue into his mouth, shivering pleasantly when Jack nipped at his lower lip. Jack’s arms slid around Mac, both hands rubbing his back for a moment before moving lower to grope his ass. Mac was unable to hold back a moan when Jack squeezed his ass cheeks, his tongue lazily exploring Mac’s mouth and driving his insane.</p><p>Mac leaned back against the counter and almost put his elbow in the spaghetti, which was enough to bring him back to reality. “Shit, we should probably eat,” he panted out, smiling when Jack nuzzled his cheek. He was amazed that he hadn’t had a bad moment or a flashback to his time with the insurgents since he and Jack started doing... whatever this was, save for that one nightmare. “Maybe after that we could have some fun?”</p><p>“Mhmm, again?” Jack murmured teasingly against his cheek. “You’re insatiable, baby.”</p><p>Mac chuckled and pulled back to look at Jack. “Are you complaining?” he asked, raising one eyebrow. “Besides, correct me if I’m wrong... but it’s <em>you</em> that currently has his hands on my ass.”</p><p>“You have a point,” Jack admitted, squeezing Mac’s ass playfully before he let go, grabbing their plates instead. “But you’ve got a damn good ass and I can’t help myself.”</p><p>“I was trying not to look at yours when we were at the other cabins,” Mac told him, sitting down on the couch much closer to Jack than he dared to at breakfast, their thighs touching. “You’re very... distracting.”</p><p>Ripley trotted after them and sat down by their feet, looking between Mac and Jack as they started eating, like someone watching a tennis match. “Oh, really?” Jack asked with a grin. “That’s good to know, although you’re one to talk, baby.” Mac’s heart fluttered stupidly when he heard the endearment, and he was more into it than he thought he would be. “I told you, I had to leave the room when you were unconscious because I couldn’t tear my gaze away from you.”</p><p>Mac tapped his fork against his chin in faux contemplation. “You know, when you put it like that it <em>does</em> sound creepy.” He nudged Jack’s knee with his own to show he was kidding, but turned serious again quickly when he said, “Jack, I... I <em>really</em> like you, and I want you to come with me tomorrow... but I also don’t want you to do something you aren’t comfortable with.”</p><p>“I appreciate it, but I’m fine, really,” Jack said, reaching out to squeeze Mac’s knee with his hand. “The reason I moved here was because... I figured that whenever I get close to someone I wind up hurting them, so... I decided to do everyone a favor and hide out here.” He sighed. “But I... like doing something that matters, you know?”</p><p>Mac nodded. “That’s how it felt when I was going to MIT,” he said, covering Jack’s hand with his casted one. “Education is important and everything... but nothing really <em>fit</em> me, and even stuff I liked didn’t seem as important as what was happening in the real world.” He paused, meeting Jack’s gaze. “And I know it’s only been a day, but... I trust you. And I don’t think you’re going to hurt me.”</p><p>Jack watched him for a moment with a strangely vulnerable look on his face and then he set his plate aside and leaned in to press their lips together. Mac made a soft, surprised sound, and blindly put his plate away as well, wrapping his good arm around Jack’s neck and opening up when he felt Jack’s tongue lick over his lower lip. Their kiss tasted an awful lot like spaghetti, but Mac didn’t care. He shifted enough to throw a leg over both of Jack’s, sitting in his lap and opening up so their tongues could slide together.</p><p>He broke away to mouth at Jack’s jaw, which he couldn’t really do before because of the beard, and his hands started working on the buttons of Jack’s flannel shirt. Jack’s hands slid to his ass again, groping and squeezing, and he groaned when Mac nipped on his skin before sucking a bruise below his jaw. Once he got his shirt open he slid his hands down Jack’s chest, rubbing one of his nipples with his thumb and loving how Jack shuddered underneath him. He slid the shirt off Jack’s shoulders and moved lower, until he was on his knees in front of the couch between Jack’s spread legs.</p><p>His intention couldn’t be clearer and Jack’s eyes went wide like saucers. “Baby?”</p><p>“I’ve been thinking about this since I saw you naked,” Mac admitted, leaning forward to nip at the skin above Jack’s hip. He hooked his fingers in the waistband of Jack’s pants but paused. “Is this okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Jack said, nodding frantically, so Mac grinned up at him and started pulling his pants down.</p><p>Thankfully Ripley wandered away and wasn’t trying to snuggle up to Mac while he was on the floor, so he could focus all of his attention on Jack’s cock. He’s only half hard, but a few strokes from Mac’s good hand fixes that surprisingly quickly. Then Mac puts his lips around the head, glancing up when he hears Jack make an almost pained sound - he’s staring up at the ceiling, both hands fisted in the couch cushion on either side of his hips. Smiling to himself, Mac sinks a little lower, tongue flattening as he takes his hand off the base.</p><p>“Oh fuck,” Jack breathed out when Mac bobbed his head up and down a couple of times before sinking even lower. “<em>Fuck</em>, Angus, you’re so good at that.” Mac groaned around Jack’s cock, the way he said his name doing something to him, and when he swallowed around Jack his hips twitched up just a little. “Sorry, baby,” Jack moaned, hips stilling, but one of his hand moved to brush Mac’s hair out of his eyes.</p><p>That tender little gesture made Mac feel warm all over, and he pulled off Jack’s cock so he could speak. “It’s okay,” he said, voice already a little hoarse. “I don’t have a gag reflex.”</p><p>He grinned when Jack’s mouth literally fell open in shock, then put his lips around Jack’s cock again and took him all the way into his throat. Jack let out a broken moan and his fingers tightened in Mac’s hair, tugging a little. It made Mac groan around his cock and he swallowed around him a few times, quickly reducing Jack to a panting mess. He could tell Jack was trying to sit still, so he patted his hip and when Jack looked down at him he winked.</p><p>Jack gasped, thumb stroking over Mac’s temple. “You sure?”</p><p>Mac swallowed again to prove his point, and the next time he pulled up and sank down Jack thrust forward to meet him. Both of his hands are on Mac’s head now, and he uses his grip on Mac’s hair to guide him where he wanted him. It was... hot, hotter than Mac thought it would be, and despite the fact that he was giving up control he felt completely safe. The sounds Jack let out were truly sinful and Mac couldn’t get enough. He relaxed his throat and closed his eyes, letting Jack use his mouth however he wanted, for now ignoring his own cock that was painfully hard in his sweatpants.</p><p>“Angus, baby,” Jack said, his hips thrusting into his mouth a little harder. “I’m so close.”</p><p>Mac pulled off when he heard that, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Then I’m gonna give you a choice,” he said, resting his hands on Jack’s thighs and smirking when Jack looked down at him with lust blown eyes. “You can either come down my throat... or come inside me.”</p><p>Jack stared at him for about a second before he stood up, kicking away his pants and grabbing Mac by his shoulders to yank him up to his feet. “Bed, now,” he growled, dragging Mac across the cabin, pushing him against the wall in the hallway on their way to the bedroom.</p><p>He crashed their lips together and Mac moaned loudly when Jack’s naked body pressed against him, hot and hard in the best way. Mac got both arms around Jack’s neck and kissed him back, moaning again when Jack lifted him up so he could wrap his legs around his waist. Then they were heading for the bedroom, still making out like it was the end of the world, and Jack kicked the door shut behind them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm not gonna say a damn thing about this chapter because I wanna see raw reactions... ;)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as Jack got Mac on the bed and crawled on top of him he sat up a little to carefully pull his hoodie off, tossing it away on the floor. Once that was done Jack attached his lips to Mac’s neck, pressing a trail of kisses to his collarbone where he started nipping and sucking on his skin. His hands were wandering, exploring Mac’s chest and abs before sliding lower, impatiently tugging on the waistband of Mac’s sweatpants.</p><p>Mac groaned when Jack’s mouth found a particularly sensitive patch of skin, helping to shove his pants down so he could kick them off. Before he could ask about lube Jack was rolling him over, and something that was <em>almost</em> nervousness shoots up his spine. A protest formed in his throat, but it didn’t escape because Mac was too busy crying out when Jack spread his ass cheeks with his hands and licked over his entrance. His tongue was hot and wet as it prodded at his hole, teasing for a moment before Jack pushed it inside him.</p><p>Mac moaned brokenly, good hand twisting in the bedsheets near his head, and he whimpered when Jack continued licking into him, his hands gripping Mac’s hips tightly and keeping him still. “Oh, <em>fuck</em>, Jack,” Mac whimpered, trying desperately to move his hips, not able to because of Jack’s hold on him. “That’s so good, oh god.”</p><p>Jack made sure he was nice and wet before he slid a finger inside Mac’s body, nipping at his ass cheek while he stretched him. He moved his finger in and out and a few times before adding a second one, causing Mac to cry out loudly, his hips twitching and grinding his cock into the mattress. Jack nipped on his ass cheek a few more times before he moved higher, kissing his way up Mac’s spine... until he reached his scars.</p><p>Mac tensed just a little, but then Jack started pressing soft kisses to every single one of his scars, the movement of his fingers slowing down a bit. “You’re so beautiful,” he mumbled into Mac’s skin. “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”</p><p>Mac shuddered under those soft touches, whining under his breath and flexing his fingers. He didn’t believe Jack’s words, but it sounded like he meant them... and whatever logic Mac had in his brain dissolved when Jack crooked his fingers enough to find his prostate. He let out a wordless cry and pushed into the touch, unable to form any words, caught between the pressure inside his body and trying to get some friction on his cock. He felt Jack press his forehead between his shoulder blades, his breath hot on his skin, and after his fingers brushed over his prostate again, he added a third finger. Mac whimpered again, writhing underneath Jack, needing more before he exploded, or worse, came before Jack was even inside him.</p><p>“How do you wanna do this, baby?” Jack mumbled, his lips moving against Mac’s back. “Whatever you want, you got it.”</p><p>“I wanna see you,” Mac blurted out, his face flushing a second later... but all Jack did was draw his fingers out and rearrange them.</p><p>He sat with his back against the headboard and Mac crawled in his lap again, waiting for Jack to pour some lube on his cock before he lined it up with his entrance and sank down on it. It felt even bigger and more intense this way, and Mac’s mouth dropped open, his eyes squeezing shut as gravity forced each inch inside him.</p><p>“So stunning,” Jack breathed out, and it took Mac a second to realize Jack was still talking about <em>him</em>.</p><p>His hands were on Mac’s hips, not pushing him down, just resting there, and once Mac stilled, Jack’s cock buried deep inside him, those hands started wandering, slowly stroking his back up and down. Mac tilted forward until he could rest his forehead against Jack’s shoulder, trying to remind himself to breathe. He stayed still for several moments, getting used to the stretch, resting his casted arm on Jack’s other shoulder. He rocked his hips tentatively and got a groan from Jack, sparks of pleasure lighting up inside Mac from that tiny movement.</p><p>He didn’t know how it was possible that he felt so... drawn to Jack, so <em>safe</em> with him after knowing him for just a day, but he <em>did </em>and there was nothing he could do about it. Swallowing hard, he shifted even closer, burying his face in Jack’s neck as he rolled his hips down again, harder this time, moaning from how good it felt. Jack’s hands were everywhere, all over his body, and then they settled in two places: one on the back of Mac’s neck, fingers tangling in his hair, and the other gripped his waist.</p><p>“You feel so good, baby,” he whispered in Mac’s ear, his voice gone to that tender praising tone from before that made Mac shake in the best way. “You need me to do anything, you just say so.”</p><p>Coming up with words was too difficult, so Mac didn’t reply, choosing to mouth at Jack’s neck instead. He set up a steady rhythm, his hips moving smoothly in small circles, and it felt fantastic... but Mac needed more. Jack must’ve been able to sense that somehow, because his hands moved to Mac’s hips and gripped them tightly. He started thrusting up in time with Mac’s movements, and soon they were both moaning and crying out occasionally, Mac from the pressure on his prostate and Jack when Mac clenched around his cock.</p><p>It was slow and teasing and perfect, and this time it was Jack who said, “Baby, I’m... I’m so close.”</p><p>“M-Me too,” Mac stuttered out, clinging even closer to Jack, panting against his neck.</p><p>“Then come for me,” Jack murmured into his ear, nipping on the lobe. “Come on, Angus.”</p><p>The way Jack said his name combined with a few sharp thrusts of his hips were enough to push Mac over the edge and he came with a loud shout, moaning Jack’s name as he painted their stomachs with his come. Jack followed him over the edge a moment later, biting down on Mac’s neck as he came inside him. He ground upward for several seconds afterward, hugging Mac close, and then they both stilled. Jack wasn’t hard inside him this time, but he stayed right where he was, rubbing one hand over Mac’s scarred back as they both tried to remember how to breathe. Mac sagged forward, slumping against Jack’s chest, face buried in his neck.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Jack murmured after a moment, his lips moving against Mac’s temple.</p><p>Mac made a sound that was supposed to be a yes and Jack seemed to understand it because he pressed a soft kiss to his skin before hugging him closer.</p><p>And this was... nice, Mac realized absently, as Jack’s softened cock slipped out of him. He’d never been with anyone who was like this after sex. A lot of the time it was Mac who wanted to get away, feeling vulnerable—or with panic gripping his throat because something that happened during reminded him of his time with the insurgents. Nikki liked to cuddle, but only after they both showered and any trace of what they’d done was gone, and Desi was never touchy-feely in the way that Mac would’ve liked.</p><p>But Jack... Jack didn’t seem to mind the sweat and the come drying on their bodies, holding him in his strong arms and nuzzling Mac’s hair every now and then. And Mac didn’t feel like running away, didn’t feel like hiding—he felt... happy and safe, and he realized with a start that he was falling for Jack... and he was falling fast. It’d only been a <em>day</em>, and yet Mac felt closer to Jack than he had to anyone in a long time.</p><p>And a trip to Boston might be one thing... but what happened when Mac had to go back to LA? That thought scared him, and he cuddled Jack harder, shutting his eyes and willing away the feeling that everything was about to change. Even if Jack felt the same way about Mac, he couldn’t ask him to move to LA—Mac was pretty sure Jack was attached to his cabin since he built it himself and it wouldn’t be fair to him to ask him to abandon his home for Mac.</p><p>“Baby, are you okay?” Jack asked in a whisper, and Mac suddenly realized he started shivering just a bit.</p><p>“I don’t want to lose you,” Mac blurted out, fingers digging into Jack’s shoulder. He nuzzled at Jack’s jaw and shivered again when Jack got them under the covers. “I want your help, I do, but I’m afraid... if we <em>do</em> find my dad, or even if we don’t, I’ll have to go back to LA, and I... I think I’m falling for you and I can’t, I don’t—”</p><p>“Easy, baby, breathe,” Jack murmured, rolling them so that they were on their sides, facing each other. He tangled their legs together and hugged Mac closer until his face was pressed against Jack’s throat, his broken arm resting over Jack’s ribs. “If you... if you don’t wanna lose me then you won’t,” he whispered, one hand slowly rubbing Mac’s back up and down until breathing was easier again. “We’re gonna figure somethin’ out, okay? Because I care about you and I... I don’t wanna lose you either.”</p><p>Mac let out a shaky sigh and focused on the way Jack touched him, trying not to let his anxiety develop into a full-blown panic attack. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone,” he whispered, and felt Jack go still against him. “I thought I loved Nikki, but... she wasn’t who she pretended to be. And I <em>do</em> love Desi, but not like that. This is... so different, and I don’t want to fuck it up.”</p><p>Since his face was pressed into Jack’s throat, Mac felt him swallow hard, his hand resuming stroking his back. “You already know it’s been... a long time since I was this close to anyone,” he whispered. “Even longer since I’ve loved anyone, so... if anyone’s gonna fuck anything up, it’s goin’ to be me. It’s what I always do, sooner or later.”</p><p>Before Mac could come up with a response to that, a loud noise broke the silence around them: pounding knocks on Jack’s front door.</p><p>They both froze, and then Mac pulled back to look at Jack with wide eyes. “Do you think that’s Walsh?” he whispered, and hated the fear he heard in his own voice. “He can’t find out that I’m here.”</p><p>Ripley started barking and something dark flashed in Jack’s eyes. He moved quickly, jumping out of the bed. “Stay here,” he said quietly, pulling on a pair of jeans and throwing on a t-shirt. “No matter what, okay? And don’t make even the tiniest sound.” He grabbed his gun and put it behind the waistband of his jeans.</p><p>“Wait,” Mac whispered when Jack moved toward the bedroom door. “Your shirt and pants are near the couch, hide them before you open the door.”</p><p>Jack flashed him a quick grin and a wink before he headed out of the room. Despite what he said before about Ripley scaring off uninvited guests, she stayed with Mac, glued to his left side as he walked to the closed door to listen in on what was happening. She whined a little, no doubt thinking Mac was leaving, but he touched her head in comfort and she went silent. He slowly sat down on the floor and leaned against the door, not wanting to risk standing and making noise.</p><p>A moment later he heard Jack open the front door. “What the hell do you want?” he asked in a gruff, scary voice, sounding completely different than how he did when he talked to Mac.</p><p>There was a slight delay, like Walsh and his men were surprised by Jack’s general presence. Then Walsh spoke, his words booming through the tiny cabin. “I’m looking for my nephew,” he started, and Mac clenched his hands into fists. “He said he was coming up here to look for his old man, haven’t seen either of them. Don’t suppose you have?”</p><p>“Comin’ here? At this time of year?” Jack asked incredulously, and Mac could easily picture him leaning against the doorframe and looking at Walsh like he lost his mind. “Nah, you fellas are the first people I’ve seen around here in weeks.” He snorted. “Only someone insane would try to walk around the woods right now.”</p><p>There was another pause, like Walsh was deciding whether or not he believed Jack. Mac held his breath, and let it out in a big relieved rush when he heard Walsh say, “Okay then. Thanks for your time.”</p><p>Jack shut the door and Mac opened the one to the bedroom at the same time, wrapping his arms around Jack as soon as he was close enough and burying his face in his shoulder. Jack’s arms circled his waist and held him close, and Mac closed his eyes, breathing him in. “You think he bought it?” he asked in a whisper, shivering—which was when he realized he never put on any clothes.</p><p>“I hope so,” Jack murmured, carding a hand through Mac’s hair. He let him go for a moment, but only to grab another flannel shirt off the chair in the corner. He helped Mac put it on, unbuttoning one sleeve so his casted arm fit through it. It was soft with wear and oversized, embedded with Jack’s smell. “I’ll give it ten minutes or so, then I’ll go out and make sure they’re gone.”</p><p>“Okay,” Mac said quietly, moving closer to hug Jack again. “How many were there?”</p><p>“Walsh and two guys by the door,” Jack replied, putting his hands on Mac’s waist. “I could see another one in the back, but the rest of his buddies were probably somewhere around. I counted six back at the cabins when we saw them earlier.”</p><p>“That’s a kill squad,” Mac mumbled, and Jack went still, probably surprised that he knew that. “The overwatch that... well, that didn’t watch my back, he was a Ranger. He... told me a lot of stories. Most of them were pretty gruesome.” He leaned back enough to look into Jack’s eyes. “Whatever Walsh’s reason is for looking for my dad, it can’t be good.”</p><p>“But here’s the thing though,” Jack started, tilting his head a little, clearly thinking out loud. “I don’t think Walsh is after your old man <em>just</em> to kill him, you know? Running around with a kill squad, searching the woods, following you... it’s too much trouble for just killin’ a guy.” Mac basically heard the gears turning in Jack’s head and it hit him how smart Jack actually was. “I think he needs somethin’ from him. And he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get it.”</p><p>Mac leaned in and kisses Jack unexpectedly, pulling back and smiling when he saw his surprised expression. “I think I might know what he wants,” he said, his good hand coming up to touch Jack’s cheek. “The thing that broke up their partnership? It’s a drug called KX7—it was supposed to make soldiers faster and stronger, but it never worked the way my dad wanted it to.”</p><p>Jack frowned. “How do you know all that? Didn’t you say he left when you were just ten?”</p><p>“I did,” Mac confirmed. “But I also told you I was pretty smart for my age. After my mom died...” He paused to push away all the memories. “My dad threw himself into work, he’d leave all those papers and notes lying around... so I read them and memorized everything, hoping I could impress him and spend more time together.”</p><p>Jack’s expression turned sympathetic, and he ran his fingers through Mac’s hair again. “I’m sorry, darlin’,” he said, squeezing the back of Mac’s neck. He paused. “Do you smell that?”</p><p>Mac tilted his head and inhales, his eyes going huge when he realized what the scent in the air was: burning wood. The fireplace wasn’t lit, which meant it was the <em>cabin </em>that was burning.</p><p>The realization seemed to dawn at Jack at about the same time because he swore. “Son of a bitch,” he growled, letting Mac go and running to the living room. “Okay, good news, they’re gone, I saw them leaving through the window,” he called out, coming back to the bedroom a moment later. “Bad news, we don’t have much time. We need to go.”</p><p>Swallowing hard, Mac started putting some pants on as quickly as he could while Jack grabbed a bag from under the bed and tossed stuff inside: wallet, ammo, some clothes, an old looking cigar box and... Metallica albums? There was no time to question it and Mac followed Jack to the living room, not commenting on Jack choosing to grab his <em>Die Hard</em> DVDs as well. He also had another bag slung over his shoulder—a sniper rifle, judging by the shape. The cabin got hotter by the second, and for a second Mac thought it was waves of heat that were making his vision blurry—but no, it was tears. He couldn’t believe that he managed to bring Walsh and his wrath down on Jack’s home.</p><p>He didn’t have a chance to dwell on it, too busy helping Jack throw things into the back of the massive SUV parked alongside the house. The last thing he grabbed was his own backpack and then he and Ripley clambered inside the car, Jack getting behind the wheel. He put it in four wheel drive and managed to get out over the snow and down the driveway—right as the flames found the propane tank that supplied the stove and hot water heater. It exploded with a thunderous boom, the cabin burning in the rearview mirror.</p><p>In the rush to get out Mac ended up in the backseat with Ripley, so he twisted to look back at the flames through the back window, not bothering to stop his tears now. He looked around at the stuff in the backseat and in the trunk, and while it seemed they got all of Jack’s personal things out... he still lost his home and it was all Mac’s fault. He hadn’t said anything since they jumped into the car and Mac did his best to hold back his sobs... but Ripley didn’t miss that he was upset and as soon as she shifted closer to him Mac broke down, burying his face in her fur.</p><p>Mac hugged her as close as he could, crying so hard it hurt his throat. His shoulders shook and he heard Jack talking to him, but his voice sounded distant, like he was speaking to him through water and Mac was too busy hyperventilating to listen. He wasn’t sure how long they drove for, but gradually the road got smoother and they started going faster—until they didn’t. When Mac lifted his head enough to look they were stopped on the side of a highway, cars zooming past them, and Jack was climbing into the back.</p><p>“Baby, you’ve gotta breathe,” he said, wrapping his arms around Mac and Ripley. “Breathe for me, please.”</p><p>Mac started crying even harder now, painful sobs ripping out of his chest, because he ruined <em>everything</em>. He let Jack pull him closer until his face was buried in his neck and it didn’t make any sense because Jack must hate him right now. “I’m sorry,” he gasped, his lungs burning, and his words were followed by another sob. “I’m so s-sorry, I’m sorry, t-this is all my f-fault, I- I’m sorry—”</p><p>“Shhh, Angus, it’s okay,” Jack interjected, his voice low and soothing. He rubbed a hand up and down Mac’s back, kissing his temple. “It was just a place, that’s all. You’re so much more important... and if I’m being honest, I’m surprised something like that didn’t happen sooner.”</p><p>“What?” Mac asked around another sob. “N-no, Jack, it was... it was your <em>home</em>.” Against his better judgement he pressed himself closer to Jack, knowing it would hurt like hell when Jack eventually pushed him away. “Y-you built it yourself and now... now it’s gone because of <em>me</em>. I’m so sorry.”</p><p>And Jack <em>did</em> push him away, but only to frame his face with both hands. “It wasn’t a home until you showed up,” he said, and Mac froze, not even breathing as he stared into Jack’s eyes. “I don’t know how you did it, kid, but you... you managed to make my old frozen heart start beating again. You’re... I don’t want to say it’s love, not yet, but you’re amazing, and I’d do anything for you.”</p><p>Mac didn’t dare move and he searched Jack’s eyes... and he realized he meant every single word. Exhaling shakily, he sniffled and leaned closer until their foreheads pressed together. “I... I’d do anything for you too,” he whispered, his voice hoarse from crying. “And... I’m glad we at least managed to get all of your things out before...” He was unable to finish this sentence, his chest tightening with guilt when he thought about the cabin. “Why... why are you surprised it didn’t happen sooner?” he asked, what Jack said only now registering in his brain.</p><p>Jack kissed him on the lips before he answered, soft and unbearably tender. “Because I made an awful lot of enemies doin’ what I did,” he said quietly, nuzzling at Mac’s cheek. “And honestly, some of those people would be happy to drop a bomb on my ass.” He leaned back a little, hands sliding down to Mac’s shoulders. “You wanna come sit up front? When we get a little further away from there we’ll find a hotel.”</p><p>Mac nodded a little, sniffling again, but he grabbed Jack’s shoulder with his good hand when he was about to move back behind the wheel. “So you... you don’t hate me?” he asked quietly, his voice barely audible, and he hated how insecure he was, but... he needed to hear it.</p><p>A pained expression showed up on Jack’s face and he moved back to the backseat. “Angus, baby, of course I don’t,” he said softly. “Nothin’ could ever make me hate you. Besides... this wasn’t your fault.”</p><p>“It feels like it was,” Mac said, blinking and looking away. He bit his lower lip when Jack touched his cheek and added, quietly, “There was a part of me that thought about going with Walsh. I just... I wanted him to leave you alone.” He swallowed hard. “But... but at least maybe you’ll get to see Riley?”</p><p>“Yeah, that would be nice,” Jack said softly. “But let’s go back to what you just said. I <em>never</em> would’ve let you go with him. Darlin’, even if you had gone with him... he wouldn’t have left me alone,” he murmured. “I would’ve been a witness. An inconvenience, and you know what men like that do with those.”</p><p>Mac nodded, because he knew Jack was right. They climbed into the front together and Mac pulled the flannel shirt tight around himself, burrowing in it even with the heat on full blast. By the time they reached a town called Lancaster it was dark out, and Jack pulled into a motel parking lot. It was good timing, too, because it was snowing again, enough for it to be a driving hazard.</p><p>“You wanna wait here while I get a room?” Jack asked, reaching out to squeeze Mac’s knee.</p><p>Mac nodded, still feeling shaken up and guilty after everything that happened. Jack squeezed his knee again and leaned in to kiss his cheek before he grabbed his wallet and got out of the car, leaving Mac alone. Well, not completely alone—Mac turned his head to look at the backseat and he smiled a little when he saw Ripley curled up there, asleep judging by her slow, deep breathing. He reached out and touches her head, and she shifted a little but didn’t wake. He was amazed by the trust he’d built with this dog—and her owner—in 24 hours, and the fact that Jack wasn’t resentful toward him was nothing short of a miracle. When Jack came back he headed for the back of the SUV, so Mac presumed they had a room.</p><p>He got out to help carry stuff, but Jack waved him off, saying, “You’ve got a broken arm, baby.” He handed him a key. “Just get the door for room sixteen, yeah?”</p><p>Mac wanted to argue, but Jack gave him a pointed look and Mac could tell he wouldn’t win this one. He grabbed his backpack, though, not wanting to be completely useless, and he also scratched Ripley behind her ears, waking her up. “Come on, Ripley,” he murmured when she lifted her head, and after yawning she hopped out of the car, following him to the motel.</p><p>It was actually quite nice, not like some of the holes you could find by the highway sometimes, and Mac made his way to the first floor, easily finding the door to their room. He unlocked it and flipped on the lights, and he was pleasantly surprised that it looked and smelled clean. Jack joined him a moment later, hauling his belongings through the door, and then Mac closed and locks it behind him.</p><p>“So for dinner we’ve got limited options,” Jack said, as if his entire life didn’t just get turned on its head. He set up food and water for Ripley as he talked. “There’s a sandwich place across the street that’s open, or we can do delivery from further out and hope the guy doesn’t wind up in a ditch.” Mac stared at him, unable to find anything to say, and apparently he took too long to reply because Jack turned to look at him, his brows furrowing. “Hey, what’s goin’ on? You good?”</p><p>And he sounded... so concerned, concerned about <em>Mac</em> when it was his house that got blown up to pieces, and that was almost enough to make Mac start crying again, that feeling of hopelessness spreading through his body. He dropped his backpack on top of Jack’s stuff and all but threw himself into Jack’s arms. He made a surprised sound but hugged Mac back, pressing a kiss to his temple. “Angus, talk to me,” he said, rubbing a hand between his shoulder blades. “You’re startin’ to scare me, darlin’.”</p><p>“I just... I don’t understand,” Mac mumbled against Jack’s neck, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to get himself together. “How can you be so...” He trailed off, not sure what word to use to describe Jack’s behavior. “So... calm? You say that... you don’t hate m-me, but you should at least be mad at me and... you don’t seem angry.”</p><p>“Okay, let’s think about this,” Jack said, his cheek pressed against Mac’s hair and his voice rumbling right in Mac’s ear. “What good is me being angry at you gonna do? I could yell and swear and stomp my feet, but it ain’t gonna bring my cabin back—all that would do is upset you even worse and drive you away, which is the last thing I want.” He sighed. “I <em>am</em> angry, Angus. I’m spittin’ fucking mad, but not at <em>you</em>, at Walsh and his cronies.”</p><p>Mac stifled a whimper and pressed himself even closer to Jack. “But Walsh showed up in your life because of me,” he whispered. “If it wasn’t for me, he would’ve never burned your cabin, he wouldn’t have cared about you at all.” He swallowed hard. “How did he even know I was there? Why didn’t he believe you?” A shaky sigh. “I always fuck everything up.”</p><p>“My place was the only thing anywhere near where those cabins were,” Jack pointed out, moving so they were sitting on the edge of the king-sized bed. “If you were stayin’ anywhere while you looked for your old man, it almost had to be with me. And remember, you said he probably broke into your house and stole those coordinates—it wouldn’t be a stretch for him to assume you were looking for your dad. As for why he didn’t believe me... maybe he’s just a distrustful bastard.”</p><p>“So what, he burned down your cabin just in case? He basically tried to kill you just to be sure?” Mac couldn’t help the way his voice turns snappish, and he immediate regretted it because it sounded like he was angry at Jack. He squeezed his eyes shut again and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” he whispered a moment later. “I didn’t mean to snap at you.”</p><p>Jack’s hand touched his cheek. “It’s okay,” he said softly, smiling when Mac’s fingers circled his wrist and gave it a squeeze. “You’re allowed to be upset.” He leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth. “Now, what do you want to eat?”</p><p>“I think we should probably get those sandwiches you mentioned,” Mac said, forcing himself to push all the guilt and other emotions away for now. “Otherwise I’m afraid we’re not gonna eat at all. It’s snowing pretty hard, any delivery guy will refuse to go out in this weather.”</p><p>“Good point,” Jack said, grabbing his cell phone and calling over to the shop across the street. Luckily they were willing to deliver since the motel was close by, so they were able to get some sandwiches and drinks, along with some extra cold cuts for Ripley. When Jack hung up he said, “They told me it’ll be about twenty minutes. Do you think we call Matty and tell her what happened, or leave it for tomorrow?”</p><p>Mac thought about it for a moment. “Let’s call her now,” he said with a sigh. “Get it over with and make sure they know things got more serious.”</p><p>Jack didn’t say anything, only smiled and leaned in to kiss Mac’s cheek. “That still her number?” he asked, showing Mac the screen, and Mac nodded after taking a look at the digits. Hitting the call button, Jack put the phone on speaker as they waited for Matty to pick up.</p><p>She did after two rings, punctual to a fault. “Dalton,” Matty said, a smile in her voice. “Didn’t know you still had my number.”</p><p>“Neither did I,” Jack admitted, sliding an arm around Mac’s shoulders. “Matty, listen, we’re not callin’ with good news. Walsh came by my place looking for Mac, and even though I could’ve won an Oscar for lying my ass off, he didn’t buy it when I told him Mac wasn’t there.” He paused, voice going rough with emotion. “He burned down my cabin.”</p><p>Matty inhaled sharply. “Are you two okay?” she asked, her voice all business, but laced with concern.</p><p>“Yeah, we managed to grab all of the things that matter to me and jumped into the car just as the whole thing blew up,” Jack said. “We stopped at the motel for the night and figured we’ll let you know what’s goin’ on.”</p><p>“Matty, can you send someone to check on my place?” Mac asked, biting the inside of his cheek. “I’m wondering if Walsh broke in there and found the coordinates.”</p><p>“Sure, I’ll have Desi and Bozer go over there now,” Matty replied. Her tone turned dry. “I told you that you should’ve gotten a new roommate after Bozer moved out.”</p><p>“Oh yeah, because I’m so easy to live with,” Mac said, rolling his eyes. “And how would I keep the Phoenix a secret from them?”</p><p>“Well, what if your roommate already knew about the Phoenix?” Matty asked, and Mac frowned, but before he could reply she continued, “Looks to me like Dalton is homeless now.”</p><p>“Matty—” Mac started, a lump in his throat.</p><p>“That sounds like a great idea,” Jack interjected, surprising the hell out of Mac and himself, if the look on his face was anything to go by. He glanced at Mac and saw his shocked expression, adding hastily, “If that’s okay with you, I mean. I’ve got nothin’ holding me down to this coast anyway.”</p><p>“Y-Yeah, I—of course it’s okay with me,” Mac rushed to say, staring at Jack with wide eyes. “Absolutely.”</p><p>“Excellent,” Matty said, clapping her hands, startling Mac and making him jump. “Jack, now that you have a place to live, would you like a job as well to go with it?”</p><p>“That one I’ll have to think about,” Jack said, but there was something in the words that sounded... pleased, almost? He smiled while he talked, which seemed like a good sign. “Did you get my government clearance restored?”</p><p>“Of course I did.” Mac practically heard Matty roll her eyes. “Does it seem like I’ve lost my touch, Dalton? Now, tomorrow at noon you’re going to meet Riley and Desi at a restaurant that’s not far from the warehouse where we think Mac’s dad might be hiding. From there you can figure out a game plan based on what you see.”</p><p>Jack’s eyes widened a little when Matty mentioned Riley, so Mac reached out to squeeze his knee. “That... that sounds great,” Jack said after a few seconds, giving Mac a small grateful smile. “I guess we’ll talk to you tomorrow?”</p><p>“Yes, call me when you know more,” Matty confirmed. “And stay safe tonight,” she added before she hung up.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you were expecting Desi and Riley in this chapter, you may be disappointed... because this is almost all filthy smut. They show up in the next one, I promise.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You really want to move in with me?” Mac blurted out once the line went dead, and he couldn’t help how shocked he sounded. “I mean I’m fine with it, more than fine, but...” His next words came out in a whisper. “I can’t believe... I can’t believe this happened to me. Not Walsh and the arson, but... <em>you</em>. I never thought...” It was too soon for this, he realized, but now that he’d started talking he couldn’t stop. “I always thought I’d wind up alone.”</p><p>“Why’s that?” Jack asked softly, using his arm around Mac’s shoulders to hug him closer.</p><p>“Well, I...” Mac started, biting his lower lip. “I’m not exactly relationship material, you know? I’m... nerdy and weird, I always ramble about chemistry or science in general... I’m usually too annoying for anyone to put up with me.”</p><p>The next thing Mac knew he’s sprawled on his back on the mattress with Jack on top of him, their mouths pressed together in a kiss. “You’re gorgeous,” Jack murmured, kissing the corner of his mouth next, then his cheek. “And smart as hell, and you made me laugh for the first time in years. My dog loves you, and... if you give me a couple more days, so will I.” Mac stared at Jack in shock, his heart pounding wildly because... that sounded like Jack was on his way to falling in love with him, and that was too good to be true. “I assure you, you rambling about science? I would never find it annoying,” Jack continued, leaning down again to mouth at Mac’s jaw. “And even if you are a bit weird, then so what? We’re all weird, ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.” He bit down on Mac’s birthmark, making him gasp. “Also? You look ridiculously hot wearing my shirt.”</p><p>Mac put his good hand on the back of Jack’s neck and draws him up for a kiss. “I don’t think you’re scary,” he whispered when they pull apart, figuring it was his turn to reciprocate. “I know you can be dangerous, but you’re not dangerous to me. You’re smart too, in different ways, and I bet you could talk to me about movies and sniper trajectory all day.” He felt his cheeks flush. “You’re also the only person who’s ever been able to make me come twice in a row.”</p><p>Jack looked down at him with something vulnerable written all over his face and he kissed Mac again, nipping on his lower lip before pulling back. “You’re amazing, Angus,” he murmured before a slow grin spread on his face. “And how about we see if I can make you come twice again?”</p><p>Mac grinned back and yanked Jack down for another kiss, shaking off his unlaced boots and getting his hands up under Jack’s shirt. Jack groaned against his lips and started unbuttoning Mac’s shirt... until a cold, wet nose pressed against their faces from the side.</p><p>“Fuckin’ dog,” Jack muttered, but there was still affection in his voice. “You’re not invited to this party, girl.” Ripley whined in response, but it seemed Jack’s plan was to ignore her. He pressed another kiss to Mac’s lips before moving to mouth at his jaw, his fingers almost done with Mac’s buttons... but then the mattress dipped as Ripley stood with her front paws on the bed, whining again. “Ripley, no—” Jack warned, but didn’t get to finish because Ripley climbed up on the bed... and plopped down on top of Jack, crushing Mac under both of them.</p><p>Mac started laughing as much as he could with the weight on top of him, the sound coming out more like a wheeze. Ripley panted happily from her conquered spot, licking the back of Jack’s head when he tried and failed to swat at her. “You have to admit this is kind of funny,” Mac said to him, smiling so hard his face hurt. “You know, besides the fact that I can’t breathe.”</p><p>Jack lifted his head, groaning a little. “You know, Ripley, I never thought you’d be such a cockblock,” he grumbled, and Mac burst out laughing again, his lungs burning in protest. Despite the tone of his voice Jack also smiled and kissed Mac’s cheek. “Hang on, baby,” he muttered, and tried to get up to let him breathe. He let out a loud groan, but manages to slide himself off Mac... with Ripley still on his back.</p><p>That was... stupidly hot, and Mac’s brain went offline for a moment. It kicked back on when he realized Jack was going to take Ripley outside and then put her in the bathroom so they could resume their activities. He waited until Jack ducked out of the room, then shucked off his pants so he was just left in the flannel shirt, which was already half unbuttoned. Then he dug in his backpack for the lube and coated his fingers in it, sighing as he slid one inside himself, cock stirring as he imagined it being Jack’s finger instead. He put his broken arm above his head so that it didn’t get in the way and spread his legs, slowly fingering himself open. It felt good, especially when he thought about what Jack would do with him later, and he moaned softly as he remembered how Jack’s cock felt inside him. He didn’t add a second finger, not wanting to rush things, and eventually he heard the door open.</p><p>“Okay, we’re all done outside, so now I’m gonna—oh <em>fuck</em>,” Jack swore, and when Mac slowly turned his head to look at him, he found Jack staring at him with wide eyes, completely still... until Ripley happily rushed toward Mac and Jack grabbed her by her fur and tail. Jack moved with surprising speed despite the fact that he was manhandling a hundred pound dog into a bathroom. As soon as the door was closed he stripped off his clothes and clambered on to the bed, leaning over Mac but stopping short of touching. “You’ve got no idea what you do to me, do you?” he asked lowly, reverence in his voice as his eyes swept over Mac’s body. “All spread out like that, waiting for me... in my shirt.”</p><p>Mac smirked at him and moaned loudly as he added a second finger. “I... I thought you might like that,” he said, groaning as he scissored his fingers apart. Jack stared down at him with a hungry gaze, his eyes wide and almost black with arousal. Mac met his gaze and went still, enraptured by the darkness of Jack’s eyes. “Touch me?”</p><p>Jack obliged him, leaning down and plunges his tongue into Mac’s mouth, planting a big hand on his chest before sliding it lower. His fingers wrapped around Mac’s cock, stroking him almost painfully slowly. Mac moaned brokenly into Jack’s mouth, his hips twitching into his touch. He took his fingers out and grabbed the lube, pushing it in Jack’s direction.</p><p>“Please,” he whispered, and Jack made a soft sound in the back of his throat, nipping on his lower lip.</p><p>He took the lube and poured some of it on his fingers before pushing two of them inside Mac, setting up a quick pace as he fingered him open. Fire spread through Mac’s whole body, and he couldn’t even get out a warning before he came all over Jack’s hand. That made Jack groan in his ear and he crooked his fingers, rubbing over his prostate until Mac’s eyes rolled back in his head. Then Jack pulled back and licked his fingers clean, bending until he could do the same to Mac’s cock. Mac moaned softly, his oversensitive cock twitching under Jack’s tongue. Once he was done, Jack nipped on his hip, sucking a bruise into his skin before sliding up Mac’s body to press his lips to his ear.</p><p>“You’re delicious,” he murmured, his voice low and rumbling. “And I’m not done with you yet.” He tugged on Mac’s earlobe with his teeth. “You’re keepin’ the shirt on, alright?”</p><p>Mac dug his fingers into Jack’s shoulder, biting his lip, his toes curling when he heard those words. “Fuck, okay,” he whispered, spreading his legs even further, hips twitching in anticipation when Jack slid a pillow under his lower back. He couldn’t help the whine that escaped his mouth when Jack pushed Mac’s legs apart even further, no problem for his flexible body. “Please, Jack.”</p><p>“Please what?” Jack asked, kneeling between his legs and staring down at him. His hands slowly slid up and down Mac’s thighs, driving Mac crazy and making him feel like he was on fire.</p><p>“Please, d-do something,” Mac begged, shivering. “Fuck me, please.”</p><p>“Mhmm, and what if I do...” Jack murmured, reaching down to wrap his fingers around his own cock, stroking lazily. “And after I come inside you I’m still hard?”</p><p>“Then you can come inside me again,” Mac told him, his voice catching with arousal. “You can fuck me as much as you want, as long as you want.”</p><p>“Now how am I supposed to resist an offer like that?” Jack wondered, and then he hooked his arms under Mac’s knees to keep him nice and open as he lined up and pushed inside his body. “God, you’re so fucking <em>tight</em>.”</p><p>Mac let out a long moan as Jack kept sliding inside him, stilling once he bottomed out. Mac tried to move his hips, but he couldn’t, not with the way Jack pinned him down, and that turned him on even more. “Please, Jack,” he whispered, his voice shaking. “Please.”</p><p>Jack leaned down and took Mac’s mouth in a filthy kiss, not moving his hips an inch now that he was buried to the hilt. Then he straightened up again and started grinding forward, not pulling back at all, just pressing into Mac’s prostate. That made Mac’s back arch, lips parting as something that felt like an orgasm but wasn’t quite the same rippled through him.</p><p>“Look at you, so gorgeous,” Jack murmured, hands gripping Mac’s legs tightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over him. “I could do this all night,” he said, and he pulled back almost all the way, only to slam inside Mac again, making him howl in pleasure.</p><p>He wasn’t hard yet and probably wouldn’t be for a while, but he still cried out every time Jack pounded into him... and then he whimpered when Jack suddenly stilled again. “<em>Oh</em>, oh, <em>Jack</em>,” Mac cried out, his voice going higher in pitch as those almost unbearable little waves of pleasure flooded his body again. His cock wasn’t involved at all but that didn’t matter as long as he kept feeling like he did right now. “So good, oh <em>fuck</em>.”</p><p>He choked on a groan when Jack pulled almost all the way out and slammed back home again, fucking him in earnest while he leaned down to bite and suck at Mac’s neck. Mac tried to keep it down since they were in a motel, but with the way Jack fucked him it was impossible to stay quiet. Jack’s arms were still hooked under his legs, so Mac was pretty much folded like a pretzel as Jack kept pounding into him so hard he moved him up the bed.</p><p>“So good for me, baby,” Jack growled against Mac’s throat, biting down on the delicate skin. “Love how you’re screamin’ for me.”</p><p>Mac howled in response to those words when Jack hit his prostate several times in a row, clenching down on his cock involuntarily. Jack’s pace faltered and he made a broken animal sound and thrusted impossibly harder and faster before he started coming, flooding Mac’s body with sticky warmth. Jack panted into his neck, his hips still moving like a well-oiled machine, pumping his come into Mac. He was still rock hard inside him, even when he stopped moving, and Mac shuddered when he felt Jack’s come leak out of him around his cock.</p><p>“Fuck, baby,” Jack murmured against Mac’s skin, nuzzling his neck, and after a moment he started grinding his hips into Mac. “Still good?”</p><p>“Yeah, I-I’m good,” Mac stuttered out, sighing when Jack let go of his legs, which allowed them to drop to the mattress on either side of Jack’s hips. “Just... slow, okay?”</p><p>“I can do slow,” Jack said into his ear, and he was good for his word.</p><p>He rocked back and forth inside Mac, almost glacial in his pace, his abs rubbing against Mac’s cock every once in a while because of how close they were. Mac wrapped his good arm around Jack’s neck, holding on to him tightly, and he kept making these soft sounds every time Jack pushed inside him. His cock started twitching in interest, more sparks of pleasure shooting up his spine even though Jack was barely doing anything. He felt hot all over, the shirt clinging to his sweaty body, but he loved the feeling, loved that he was marked by Jack in basically every way.</p><p>And if the way Jack breathed harshly against his skin and held him close was any indication, he loved it too. His arms slipped under Mac’s body, cradling him as he continued to thrust in and out of him steadily. There was something deeply intimate about this and Mac couldn’t get enough, wanted to stay this way for as long as they could... and it seemed like with Jack’s stamina he might get his wish. He turned his head to press his lips to Jack’s temple, closing his eyes for a moment.</p><p>Despite everything that happened earlier, right now Mac felt... so <em>safe</em>, wrapped in Jack’s arms and connected to him in every way. He’d never felt this way with anyone and when he opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling his vision started blurring with tears because this... this was something he’d always secretly dreamed about. This had shifted from urgent and raw to making love, and Mac let his tears fall as Jack continued to stoke the fire building in his gut with each thrust. His pace increased slightly but his movements weren’t as forceful as Mac knew they could be... and while Mac appreciated it, he also wanted to see Jack lose control.</p><p>“Come on, Jack,” Mac whispered, breath hitching. “Harder... I can take it.”</p><p>Jack growled against his neck, his arms tightening around Mac almost painfully, and his next thrust was much harder, making Mac cry out loudly. He was fully hard again at this point, but he needed more, he needed Jack to let go... and that was exactly what he did. He started up a brutal pace, slamming in and out of Mac’s body like that was all he was made to do. He buried his face in Mac’s neck and left it there, making rough sounds every time Mac shifted or clenched down on him. He was dominant and overwhelming but never too harsh and Mac loved every second of it, felt his next orgasm building, and cried out every time Jack struck his prostate.</p><p>“J-Jack, Jack, <em>Jack</em>,” was all Mac was capable of saying, moaning and crying out Jack’s name, his voice getting higher the closer he got.</p><p>Jack made a wounded sound, muffled by Mac’s neck, and held him tightly as he continued pounding into him, chasing his release and using Mac for that. And Jack was the one to come first this time, shouting his pleasure, hips stuttering as he filled Mac up with come again. “Oh, Angus, baby,” he groaned, grinding forward so he was pressed tight against Mac’s prostate as he continued to pulse inside of him. “Come for me, beautiful.”</p><p>Mac trembled all over, his hips twitching, and that pressure on his prostate was enough to make him come as well, moaning brokenly as he arched off the mattress, pressing himself even closer to Jack’s chest. Eventually they both stilled, Jack collapsing on top of Mac, panting heavily into his neck as they tried to recover and get some air into their lungs.</p><p>“Holy fuck,” Mac mumbled once he was able to speak, his voice hoarse. “That was... amazing.”</p><p>“It really was,” Jack agreed, his lips moving against Mac’s neck. “Are you—” He didn’t get to finish because a sudden loud howl of misery coming from the bathroom cut him off. Jack lifted his head and they stared at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing. “Hang on a sec,” he called to Ripley, pulling out slowly and walking totally naked over to the bathroom door.</p><p>Mac had the good sense to haul the blankets up over his lower half before Ripley came tearing over to the bed, jumping on top of him and licking his face furiously. “Oh my—Ripley, Jesus,” Mac gasped, grabbing her fur and trying to turn his head away, laughing when she whined and start sniffling him, cold nose pressing against his throat. “You act like you haven’t seen me in months!”</p><p>“And like I don’t exist,” Jack grumbled, walking back to the bed and sliding under the covers next to Mac, Ripley still on top of him, her huge paws resting on Mac’s shoulders. Just for that Ripley turned her head and licked Jack once across the face, making him sputter and Mac laugh again. She curled up on top of him like the world’s biggest lap dog—and that was when the delivery guy knocked at the door.</p><p>“Oh for Christ’s sake,” Jack muttered, and he was starting to sound like an old man.</p><p>He threw the covers back and grabbed some pants, making sure he didn’t have come anywhere visible before he went to get the door. Mac wrapped his good arm around Ripley, just in case she tried to go and scare the living daylights out of the delivery guy, but she didn’t move. He heard Jack thank the guy and pay him, and a moment later he closed the door.</p><p>“Food’s here,” Jack declared, coming back to the bed.</p><p>He set he bag on the mattress—which made Ripley perk up and eye the bag curiously—and took off his pants, crawling under the covers again. Jack opened the bag and took out the cold cuts for Ripley first, unwrapping them and tossing them in her bowl with expert precision. She leapt off the bed and scrambled to go eat, which left Mac free to sit up and press himself into Jack’s side as he opened their sandwiches.</p><p>“So did she claw all the paint off the inside of the bathroom door?” Mac asked, taking a bite out of his pastrami on rye. “Like are we gonna have to pay damages?”</p><p>“Hopefully not,” Jack said, wincing a little as he grabbed his sandwich. “There are some scratches, but maybe no one will notice. And it’s not like I used my real name to book the room,” he added with a grin, and Mac raised his eyebrow. “Wha’?” Jack asked, his mouth full. “Are you really surprised I have some fake identities?”</p><p>“I guess not,” Mac said after a moment of consideration. “I have some too—I even went to jail once.”</p><p>“Seriously?” Jack asked, looking even more surprised than Mac did. “How did that go?”</p><p>“Not well,” Mac replied wryly, popping a potato chip in his mouth. “I tried to befriend a mob boss and wound up almost dying from a nitrous oxide overdose.”</p><p>“Damn, baby,” Jack said, sounding impressed. “Looks like workin’ with Matty is just as fun as I remember.”</p><p>“Oh, that was before Matty took over as the director,” Mac said. “She took the job after the previous director, Patricia Thornton, turned out to be a traitor.”</p><p>Jack’s eyes searched his face for a second. “You really don’t have good luck with people, do you?”</p><p>“Not most of the time, no,” Mac replied, smiling ruefully. “Bozer and Riley are really my only friends, and Desi... well, every time I think we’re over our breakup something happens and we take three steps backward.”</p><p>Jack was quiet for a moment. “I guess finding out about us won’t help,” he said softly, his voice laced with some emotion Mac couldn’t quite read. “Unless...” He trailed off and sighed. “Unless you want to keep this thing between us a secret? I’d... I’d understand.”</p><p>“What? No, of course not,” Mac said, eyebrows drawing down. He put a hand on Jack’s arm and squeezed. “Jack, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I want everyone to know about us.” He hesitated. “Besides... I’m pretty sure Desi’s had a new thing for a while... with Riley.”</p><p>Jack’s head snapped in his direction, his eyes huge. “Oh, wow,” he breathed out, and then he shook his head a little. “I didn’t expect to hear that,” he said, but then he smiled, clearly recovering from the initial shock. “But as long as Riles happy, I’m happy too.”</p><p>“She is,” Mac assured, because that much he knew from Riley’s wide smile whenever Desi walked into the room. “And for whatever’s it’s worth I don’t think they expected it either. But it seems to be working a helluva lot better than Desi and I ever did.” He finished his sandwich and snuggled into Jack’s side. “I just hope we find my dad tomorrow.”</p><p>“I hope so too,” Jack murmured, wrapping one arm around his shoulders and kissing the top of his head. “But just so you know, if we don’t find him tomorrow? We’re gonna keep lookin’. And eventually we’ll find him, although when we do I’d love to ask him why he thought abandoning you was a good idea.”</p><p>Mac pushed his face into Jack’s neck and smiled against his skin. “Honestly, I’d like it if you asked him that, because I’ve never come up with a reasonable answer.” He yawned, because between the adrenaline from the near miss with Walsh and then the sex, he was exhausted. “Can we take a shower and then maybe go to sleep?”</p><p>“Yeah, of course,” Jack murmured, kissing his hair again before shifting them closer to the edge of the mattress.</p><p>Before Mac could stand up, though, Jack slid one arm around him and the other one under his legs, and picked him up. Mac squealed in surprise and laughed when Jack just grinned at him and carried him to the bathroom, kicking the door closed. They wrapped Mac’s cast and step into the shower, quickly washing themselves, kissing occasionally but too tired for anything else.</p><p>Once they turned off the water and dried themselves, Mac was more than ready to pass out... but that might be a problem because when they stepped out of the bathroom they found Ripley spread out in the middle of the bed. Jack made a sound of disapproval and he shoved at Ripley until she moved to the foot of the bed. That made it easier for them to crawl into the bed, and the warmth she put off was nice when they were under the covers again.</p><p>Mac cuddled into Jack as soon his arms were around him, nuzzling his face into his chest. “Goodnight, Jack.”</p><p>“Goodnight, baby,” Jack murmured, squeezing him lightly and pressing his lips to Mac’s temple.</p><p>Mac couldn’t hold back a smile and he sighed happily, closing his eyes and enjoying the warmth coming from both Jack and Ripley who shifted to lie over their feet. Slowly, Mac felt himself dozing off and the last thing he was aware of was Jack’s heart beating under his head.</p><p> </p><p>~***~</p><p> </p><p>When Jack woke up in the morning he was comfortable and warm, and for the first few seconds he thought he was in his cabin, away from the rest of the world. Then he felt something tickle his jaw, and when he cracked his eyes open he saw Mac’s head was still on his chest, their naked bodies tangled together under the blankets. They were in a motel room, not the cabin, and when Jack remembered why he let out a sigh.</p><p>Mac was still asleep and so was Ripley, so Jack let his thoughts wander. He was still angry, furious at Walsh for burning down the cabin, and he couldn’t wait to get his hands on him and make him pay for that. He meant what he told Mac back in the car, that the cabin was just a place, but... it still meant something to him. He built it all with his hands, log by log, and it took him <em>forever</em>. That was also where he found Ripley—or where she found him—and he had memories there. They weren’t all positive, but he cherished them nonetheless, and as much as he wished things were different.... nothing was worth losing Mac.</p><p>He rubbed a hand up and down Mac’s spine, kissing the top of his head when he shifted impossibly closer to him. Jack just held him, not wanting to rush him awake. He wondered if he would be able to rebuild the cabin—not as a place to live since he was serious about moving to LA to be with Mac... but maybe as a vacation spot, a place to run away when the real world got too much.</p><p>Mac made a small sound, the arm he had across Jack’s middle tightening. He seemed to be coming toward wakefulness... and Jack had an idea about how to get there pleasantly. He slipped out of Mac’s hold and moved down his body, kissing at the jut of one of his hips, his fingers wrapping around Mac’s cock. He slowly stroked him a few times and Mac moaned softly, still asleep, even though his body twitched a little.</p><p>Smirking, Jack kissed his hip again and then he took the head of his cock into his mouth, slowly bobbing his head up and down a few times, circling the head with his tongue. He hardened on Jack’s tongue, precome hitting his taste buds, and Jack couldn’t help but groan. He took him in deeper and swallowed around him, keeping one arm across Mac’s hips so he couldn’t choke him accidentally. As far as Jack could tell he was still asleep, although he probably thought he was having a very good dream.</p><p>He groaned quietly, his good hand twisting in the bedsheets near his hip, and he thrust up a little against Jack’s arm. “Jack,” he breathed out, voice barely audible, but when Jack glanced up Mac’s eyes were closed.</p><p>He sank down deeper and eventually removed his fingers from Mac’s cock, taking him fully inside until the head of his cock hit the back of his throat. Suddenly Jack was struck by the amount of Mac’s <em>trust</em> he had, and that made Jack pull off. Did he even deserve that kind of faith? He didn’t know, and he crawled up Mac’s body, kissing every inch of skin he could reach until he got to Mac’s jaw, then his ear.</p><p>“Angus, baby, can you wake up for me?” Jack murmured, and there was a fine tremor of emotion in his voice. “Thought you might wanna have some fun.”</p><p>“Mhmm, what?” Mac mumbled sleepily, and while that was adorable, Jack’s mind was kind of occupied with something else.</p><p>He wrapped his fingers around Mac’s cock again, stroking him slowly and mouthing at Mac’s jaw until his eyes fluttered open and he woke up with a quiet moan. His good hand grabbed on to Jack’s bicep, squeezing as he tilted his head to give him access to his throat. And again, it was such a simple display of trust, but considering Mac’s history Jack never expected him to give that to <em>him</em>, of all people.</p><p>He pressed kisses to Mac’s neck as he stroked him a little faster, twisting his wrist over the head. Mac’s breathing got heavier and he let out another soft moan, his hips lazily thrusting into Jack’s hand. He was all soft and sleepy, and Jack couldn’t get enough of him, pushing his free arm between Mac’s back and the mattress to pull him closer and he tightened his fingers around his cock.</p><p>“You’re gorgeous,” Jack whispered against his skin, thumb rubbing over the slit on his next pass upward, and he smiled when Mac moaned a little. “And remember what I said yesterday, about how you needed to give me a little time and I’d be in love with you?” He paused, swallowing hard, stroking Mac faster still. “I think I’m there, baby.”</p><p>Mac’s breath hitched and the next moan that fell from his lips was all shaky, his fingers tightening around Jack’s bicep. “Am I dreaming?”</p><p>Jack lifted his head to look at him and found Mac’s blue eyes watching him, still a bit hazy with sleep. “No, baby,” Jack replied quietly, nuzzling Mac’s cheek, keeping a steady pace of his hand. “I love you, Angus.”</p><p>“I... I love you too,” Mac said, his voice cracking, and it only took a couple more strokes from Jack’s hand to make him come.</p><p>His lips parted in a soundless moan and he arched into Jack’s touch as he worked him through the aftershocks, come spurting on to his abs. Then he pulled Jack in to kiss him, messy and a little uncoordinated, but Jack had never felt anything better in his life. His heart pounded wildly and while he had no idea how on earth someone as amazing as Mac could ever love him... he didn’t see himself ever letting him go, even though it was something he should probably do.</p><p>A moment later Mac broke the kiss and touched Jack’s cheek with his hand, fingers brushing over his stubble. “You... you really mean it?” he asked in a whispers, his blue eyes clearer now. “That you love... <em>me</em>?”</p><p>“Yeah, I... I do,” Jack whispered back, taking that hand in his own and kissing the back of it. “Honestly, I’m just... kind of shocked you said it back.” He let his eyes fall shut, resting his forehead against Mac’s collarbone. “And I really, <em>really</em> can’t fuck this up. You’re too important.”</p><p>“Of course I said it back,” Mac whispered, squeezing Jack’s fingers before letting go of his hand. “And you’re not going to fuck this up. I know you won’t.” He turned his head to press his lips to Jack’s temple while his hand slowly slid down Jack’s chest, and Jack let out a startled gasp when Mac’s long fingers wrapped around his cock. “Now how about I return the favor?”</p><p>“Fuck, Angus,” Jack said, one hand tight on Mac’s hip, the other one curved around his shoulder. He breathed through his mouth and let his hips twitch into Mac’s grip. He was too good at this, stroking Jack firmly but not too tightly, his mouth on Jack’s cheek now, then his jaw. “That’s it, baby, just like that.”</p><p>“You’re so hot,” Mac groaned into his ear, thumbing over the head of his cock and making him moan brokenly. “You drive me insane.”</p><p>Burying his face in Mac’s neck, Jack panted against his skin, pressing sloppy kisses wherever he could reach. “The... the feeling’s mutual, darlin’,” he gasped, whimpering when Mac twisted his wrist exactly in the right way. “Oh god, <em>Angus</em>.” It wouldn’t be long before Jack came—he got hard after seeing the way Mac had reacted to his mouth and his hands. The noises Jack made got louder and more guttural but he was helpless to stop them, not with Mac touching him like this. “Baby, I need to, I’m gonna—”</p><p>“It’s okay, Jack,” Mac whispered, his casted hand stroking at his back. “Let go.”</p><p>Jack squeezed his eyes shut and pushed his face more into Mac’s neck, the smell of sunshine and ozone overwhelming him in the best way. Mac’s grip on his cock was perfect and Jack did as he was told—he let go, and it only took a moment more for him to come with a loud groan, biting down on Mac’s neck as he came all over his hand. His hips continued twitching as Mac worked him through his orgasm and once he was done he collapsed on top of Mac, panting heavily.</p><p>“Well, that was a nice way to wake up,” Mac commented, chuckling a little. He brought the hand he had on Jack’s cock up to his face and licked his fingers clean, just like Jack did the night before.</p><p>The sight made Jack’s cock twitch and he moaned pitifully, nipping at Mac’s skin in retaliation. “Not cool, dude. I can’t get it up again yet.”</p><p>Mac chuckled again, and that was such a pretty sound that Jack couldn’t help but smile against his skin. They wound up kissing again, but there was no urgency behind it this time—they just traded soft kisses, their lips parting and meeting again, and every time one of them tried to pull back, the other chased his lips. It was... perfect and peaceful, and Jack never wanted it to end... but he froze when he heard a deep sigh coming from the foot of the bed.</p><p>Ripley had been so quiet that Jack almost forgot she was there, and he felt himself blush because of the damn dog. “Sorry, girl,” he said, resting his head against Mac’s shoulder. He had a bullet scar there, which Jack hadn’t noticed until now. “Did we wake you up? Is it that hard to be a dog?” He felt her shift, but she didn’t throw herself on them, only whining a little.</p><p>“I think it is hard when your owner forgets about you and starts having sex with someone,” Mac said, sounding amused, and Ripley whined again, apparently agreeing with him.</p><p>“Oh, come on, girl,” Jack muttered, rolling his eyes. “Don’t be a prude.” That made Mac giggle, and it was a precious sound that Jack was very much okay with hearing again. “All right, we’ve gotta get on the road if we want a hope in hell of meeting Riley and Desi at that restaurant in Boston,” he said, smacking Mac’s thigh lightly. “Hey, check your phone—I bet Matty got back to you about your house.”</p><p>“Good point,” Mac said, and reached for the nightstand where he put his phone last night. He glanced at the screen and frowned after reading something. “That’s... odd,” he said, and sat up when Jack slid off his body. “Matty says there’s been no sign of a break in at my house.” He looked at Jack, a brows furrowing. “Then how did Walsh know where to look? There’s no way he could’ve traced my phone, so... how?”</p><p>Jack thought about it for a moment. “Did your dad keep stuff anywhere else? Like maybe a storage locker or something?”</p><p>“Maybe,” Mac said, but his tone sounds doubtful. He thought too, and then his eyes widened. “What about his old lab? He could’ve left something behind there, and Walsh might still have access to it.”</p><p>“See, that’s a possibility,” Jack said with a nod. “It doesn’t matter how he found out, though. What matters is that your house is intact and that Walsh - as far as we know—doesn’t know where your old man is now.” He grabbed Mac’s hand and squeezed. “We found the records, remember?”</p><p>Mac took in a deep breath and nodded, squeezing back. “Yeah, and that’s what’s important.”</p><p> </p><p>~***~</p><p> </p><p>They got out of bed and took yet another shower, both of them getting dressed in Jack’s clothes and sharing his toothbrush—it wasn’t ideal, but considering the bodily fluids they’d shared it seemed inconsequential. They decided to grab breakfast on the road, and after letting Ripley out to do her business they packed up Jack’s SUV and left. Jack relaxed once they were on the road because staying in one place—even a small motel—when someone just tried to kill them made him a little restless.</p><p>He kept one hand on the steering wheel and put the other one on Mac’s thigh, smiling when Mac covered his hand with his own. It felt oddly domestic, driving with Mac’s hand in his and Ripley sprawled across the backseat... and Jack found he liked it a lot. They got on the highway and stopped in a town called Lincoln for breakfast, grabbing some food at a little diner. The place was crawling with tourists and locals and they’d put mileage between them and Walsh, but Jack still found himself looking for anything suspicious as he sipped his coffee—the last thing they needed was a tail.</p><p>“Hey, you alright?” Mac’s soft voice brought him out of his thoughts along with a light tap of Mac’s foot on his. “You seem tense.”</p><p>“I am,” Jack admitted, giving Mac a small smile. “I just... as long as Walsh is out there, I’d rather be on high alert. Just in case.”</p><p>Mac nodded his understanding and left his foot where it was, boot resting on top of Jack’s, a comforting gesture. They destroyed a couple of lumberjack breakfasts—which Mac teased him about to no end—and then got back on the road, heading south on Interstate 93 until they reached the Massachusetts border. They still had a while to drive and only an hour until their meeting time with Riley and Desi, so Mac sent a text telling them they’d be a little late.</p><p>As they kept driving Mac didn’t say much, but Jack could tell he was getting more nervous the closer they got to Boston. He twisted his fingers in his lap and Jack was actually afraid he’d dislocate them if he didn’t ease up a little.</p><p>“Hey, baby,” Jack murmured, squeezing Mac’s thigh. “Don’t break your fingers, okay? We may need them soon and I don’t mean in a fun way.”</p><p>If he was being totally honest, Jack was a little nervous too, but not for the same reasons. He hadn’t been in a town like Lincoln in years, and it’d been even longer since he was in a city as big and crowded as Boston.</p><p>The traffic got worse the closer they got, and Mac gusted out a sigh. “Are you okay?” he asked, turning in his seat to look at Jack. “I know this can’t be easy for you.”</p><p>“What?” Jack asked, doing his best to sound incredulous, for some reason deciding that playing dumb was a good idea. “I’m fine, baby.”</p><p>“Jack,” Mac said softly, wrapping his fingers around Jack’s wrist. “You don’t need to pretend you’re okay. Not with me.”</p><p>Jack chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment, Boston’s skyscrapers looming in the distance as they crawled down I-93, stopping every few feet. “I’m freaking out,” he admitted, closing his eyes for a moment to block out the trail of brake lights. “I haven’t done this in... a long time, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep it together.”</p><p>“Look, I know we haven’t know each other very long,” Mac started, his voice soft and quiet. “But I can already tell that you’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. And I believe you can do this.” When Jack glanced at him, Mac smiled. “And I’ll be with you all the time if that’s any consolation.”</p><p>“That... actually helps a lot,” Jack whispered, grasping Mac’s fingers so he could kiss the back of his hand. “Thank you, darlin’.”</p><p>They drove in silence for a while again, until they had to get off the highway and look for a place to park on the street near the restaurant Matty told them about. It was a Vietnamese place in the Dorchester neighborhood, and they managed to find a spot not too far away.</p><p>Jack killed the engine when something occurred to him. “Wait, what about Ripley?” he asked, glancing to the backseat where Ripley was lying down, head up and panting happily. “We can’t take her with us to the warehouse, what if things go south? She ain’t a military dog.”</p><p>“You’re right,” Mac said, smiling when Ripley yawned. “But I’m sure we’re going to set up somewhere and Riley will stay there, monitoring everything. Ripley could stay with her, she’d be safe.”</p><p>Jack relaxed a little. “Okay, yeah, that makes sense,” he said, and gave her a parting pat on the head before they went inside for lunch.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys! Sorry this one took a while, I was busy applying to grad school because I'm a masochist apparently. The next chapter after this one will be the last, but don't worry, there's already a sequel in the works. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Riley jumped out of a booth in the back as soon as they were through the door, and Jack almost broke down when he saw her. She was all grown up and beautiful, but she threw herself into his arms and buried her face in his shoulder just like she did when he was a kid. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her so tightly her ribs must’ve creaked, but she didn’t seem to mind. He pressed his nose into her hair and squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to lose it completely and make a scene.</p><p>“Hey, kid,” Jack whispered hoarsely. “I missed you.”</p><p>“I missed you too,” Riley said, like she was choking back a sob. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She pulled back to look at him and touched a hand to her cheek, a big smile on her face despite the tears in her eyes. “You look exactly the same.”</p><p>She tugged on his arm, pulling him toward the booth... and Jack realized Mac and Riley’s Desi was someone he already knew. “You’ve got to be kiddin’ me.” Desi just raised her eyebrow, not looking surprised at all. It made sense, Matty must have told Mac’s team about Jack, so Desi knew exactly who to expect—and Jack kicked himself for not connecting the dots, after all there weren’t that many women cut out for spy work named Desi, right? “Would you look at that, Nguyen,” he drawled, well aware that their last meeting wasn’t exactly... amicable. “Never thought we’d see each other again, let alone in these circumstances.”</p><p>“The feeling’s mutual, Dalton,” Desi replied, flashing him a smile that was all teeth. “Bet you didn’t think I’d be dating your adopted daughter.”</p><p>“I’m sensing some tension,” Mac said dryly, sitting down opposite Desi in the booth, patting the spot next to him for Jack. “I take it you two know each other?”</p><p>A retort about Jack now dating Desi’s ex almost escaped Jack’s throat, but he held it back, not wanting to drag Mac into this. “Yeah, we do,” he said, not elaborating when Mac raised his eyebrow in question.</p><p>“Okay,” Mac said slowly, looking between Desi and Jack. “So far it seems you know every single one of my friends,” he added, smiling a little and clearly trying to ease the tension. “Next thing you tell me is that you’re buddies with Bozer.”</p><p>“Nope,” Jack said, busy having a staring contest with Desi - and she was winning, damn her. “But I’m sure he’s a great guy if he’s friends with you.”</p><p>They paused their conversation to order some bon mi and pho, and tea was brought to their table a moment later. Riley took a sip off of hers before she cleared her throat. “So we took a drive by the warehouse on our way here.”</p><p>“Anything interesting?” Jack asked, looking at her, and he immediately felt his gaze soften. He was also happy to change the subject, not in the mood for going back to his old conflicts with Desi.</p><p>“Not really,” Riley replied. “There are a few security cameras outside, so that’s worth checking out if we find nothing inside, but other than that... it looks normal.”</p><p>“You really think your dad’s been living in a warehouse for three years?” Desi asked Mac, raising an eyebrow. “Seems like it would be pretty uncomfortable.”</p><p>Mac shrugged. “Maybe he’s working on something there and living somewhere else? I’m not really sure. What I <em>do</em> know is that we’re one step ahead of Walsh.”</p><p>“Yeah, as far as we know he has no idea about this place,” Jack confirmed, ignoring the sharp glare Desi threw him. “No one’s been tailing us and he never got a chance to see those records. Hell, it’s possible he thinks we died at the cabin. If not both of us then at least me.”</p><p>Mac jolted in the seat next to him and rubbed his leg—evidently Desi kicked him. “Ow! What was that for?”</p><p>“Not telling me how badly you were hurt,” Desi said, and she looked upset... before her mouth curled into a smirk. “And for not telling me Dalton was your type.”</p><p>Jack wasn’t even that surprised that she figured it out and apparently neither was Mac. “It’s just a broken arm, I’m fine,” he said. “I figured if I’d told you, you all would’ve been more worried and that wasn’t necessary. And as far as Jack being my type goes...” He smiled a little. “When we talked I had no idea how things would turn out.”</p><p>Desi smiled back. “Well, I’m happy for you.” She squinted at Jack. “You... I’m not sure whether I’m happy for you yet. But if you even think about hurting him, I’ll kill you.”</p><p>“Feeling’s mutual,” Jack grumbled as their food came. “You hurt my baby girl, they’ll never find the body.”</p><p>“Okay!” Riley exclaimed, clapping her hands, stopping Desi from replying even though she had her mouth already open. “This is fun,” she added with a grin, exchanging an amused look with Mac.</p><p>“Those two threatening to kill each other?” Mac asked, raising his eyebrows. “You have a weird definition of fun, Riles.”</p><p>Riley just shrugged in response and a moment later her eyes widen. “Wait a second,” she said, looking at Jack excitedly. “Where’s your dog? You brought her with you, right?”</p><p>“She’s out in the car,” Jack replied, and then he made a face. “Come to think of it, I better order her something or she’s gonna eat my upholstery.” He flagged down the waitress and got some cooked chicken to go. “She’s a little bit of a troublemaker, and I’m pretty sure she likes Mac more than me.”</p><p>“Can’t say I blame her,” Desi remarked, and hissed in pain a moment later when Mac very obviously kicked her.</p><p>Riley rolled her eyes and smiled widely at Jack. “I can’t wait to meet her. She looked basically like a real wolf when I saw her during our video call.” Her eyes widened. “Do you think she’ll like me?”</p><p>“Hopefully she will because you’re in charge of dog sitting while we go to the warehouse,” Mac said, grinning when she turned to stare at him.</p><p>“Working with Dalton again,” Desi said dryly. “Can’t wait for that.”</p><p>“Again, feeling’s mutual,” Jack sniped around a bite of his sandwich. “I remember what happened in Iraq too, you know.” They fell silent after that, enjoying their food, and when the bill came Jack pulled out his wallet as the same time Desi did.</p><p>“Okay, no, easy,” Mac immediately said, raising his hands when they glared at each other, acting as a buffer. “I’ll pay, end of discussion.” He gave them both a pointed look when they started protesting, and Jack had to admit, Mac knew how to be intimidating when he wanted to. Once he paid and the waitress handed Jack the chicken packed to go, they headed outside and while they walked to their cars—turned out they were parked close together—Mac grabbed Jack’s wrist and forced him to walk slower, so that they fell behind Desi and Riley. “What happened in Iraq?” he asked softly, his voice quiet enough for no one else to hear him.</p><p>Jack shifted his hand so he could lace his fingers through Mac’s. “I trained Desi at the Ranger Academy, and I saw her again when we were both deployed outside Baghdad. We were put on an assignment together, and... things didn’t go so well. We blamed each other for that, which wasn’t the healthiest thing to do, and didn’t talk after that.” They reached the car and Jack gestured for Mac to open the door, letting Ripley out on the sidewalk. She immediately put her nose to the ground, no doubt fascinated by all the city smells.</p><p>“Oh my god,” Riley breathed out, watching her with wide eyes. “She’s so beautiful, oh my god.”</p><p>Jack looked at her in amusement, loving how excited she was and how she basically acted the same way she did when she was a kid. A moment later Ripley seemed to realize they had company and she froze when she lifts her head, her gaze locking on Riley. She bounded over to her and jumped up, paws landing on Riley’s shoulders, and luckily she was braced for the impact or she would’ve gotten knocked over. Ripley licked her face and made happy sounds when Riley sputtered and started scratching at her head and back.</p><p>“This is your vicious wolf dog?” Desi asked skeptically, arms crossed over her chest. “She acts like a puppy.”</p><p>“Don’t underestimate her,” Jack muttered, watching as Riley laughed loudly when Ripley started sniffing at her neck, dropping down a moment later to sniff at her boots.</p><p>Shrugging, Desi walked up closer to Riley... and Ripley lifted her head, baring her teeth and letting out a deep growl Jack hadn’t heard in a while. “Whoa, easy,” Desi said, lifting her hands in supplication and taking a half-step back. Ripley watched her carefully, still growling but not being actively aggressive... and again, Desi surprised Jack, this time by dropping into a crouch and holding out one hand for her to smell. “I’m not a threat, girl. I like dogs... and I <em>really</em> like Riley.”</p><p>She stopped growling after a moment and took a step closer to Desi, hesitantly sniffing her hand. “Told you,” Jack whispered back. “That’s how Ripley usually is with strangers, so now you know why I was surprised when she basically sat in your lap minutes after meeting you.”</p><p>Ripley deemed Desi worthy after a thorough examination of her hand, taking another step closer and allowing her to pet her head. “See? I’m not so bad,” Desi said, scratching behind her ear. “You’re such a pretty girl, aren’t you? I bet those silly boys don’t show you nearly enough affection.”</p><p>Jack rolled his eyes, biting his tongue to stop himself from saying something that could potentially start a fight.</p><p>“I don’t know, she didn’t seem to complain when she was lying on top of me,” Mac commented with a grin, not specifying which situation he was talking about... but Jack snorted out a laugh when he remembered Ripley crawling on both of them when they were in the middle of something.</p><p>Desi winked at Mac, and if Jack didn’t know she was with Riley he might be jealous. “Well, I didn’t complain when I was lying on top of you either.”</p><p>“Oh my god,” Riley muttered, rolling her eyes, but when Desi stood up she leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Be careful, okay? I’m gonna hang out in the car with Ripley in case you need a getaway driver.” She kissed Jack’s cheek as well and headed to the car she and Desi came in, and Ripley trotted after her happily once she whistled at her.</p><p>“Looks like I’m catching a ride with you,” Desi said, sounding less than pleased about it.</p><p>Jack grinned wolfishly. “Seems that way,” he agreed. “And I’m drivin’.”</p><p>“So we’ll get there in pieces, how wonderful,” Desi remarked, climbing into the passenger’s seat of the SUV.</p><p>That relegated Mac to the back with all the luggage and dog hair, but he didn’t seem to mind. Jack decided to ignore that crack about his driving—god knows he’d been in enough accidents—and he headed in the direction of the warehouse, intent on taking a drive by it for himself.</p><p>“How do you wanna do it, Mac?” Jack asked, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. He realized it must be one of the only times that he actually called Mac by his nickname out loud—he’d gotten so used to calling him by his name that it felt weird now. “Just go in hot or do you wanna stake out the place?”</p><p>Mac watched the building go by, craning his neck once they passed it to keep it in his line of sight. “I don’t know,” he replied, running a hand through his hair. “Part of me just wants to burst in there... but what if we wind up spooking him?”</p><p>“I could pretend to be lost,” Desi offered as Jack parked closer to the warehouse, but well out of view of its cameras. “Say my car’s dead and so is my phone, see if he’s even in there.”</p><p>“That’s... not a bad idea,” Mac said slowly. “Just... make sure you seem lost and <em>not </em>threatening. That means easing up on the glaring.”</p><p>“I think I can handle that,” Desi said, and she reached for her pocket, taking out comms and handing them to Mac and Jack. “Here, you’ll be able to hear everything.”</p><p>She got out of the car, making sure her jacket covered her gun before slowly walking toward the warehouse. Jack settled back into his seat and slipped on some sunglasses he kept in the glove compartment. He was surprised at how... <em>easy</em> this felt, slipping back into the mindset of the job. It might not be a good thing later on, but for right now it was useful.</p><p>Before they turned their comms on, Mac touched his shoulder and asked quietly, “You still okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, baby, I’m okay,” Jack murmured, turning his head enough for Mac to kiss his cheek. “Having you near helps... and so does arguing with Desi, it keeps my mind from wandering into certain places.”</p><p>“It seems like arguing with her brings another set of bad memories, though,” Mac said softly, squeezing Jack’s shoulder before putting the comm in his ear and turning it on. “Alright, Desi, we’re on,” he said, as Jack turned his comm on as well. “Good luck.”</p><p>Desi blew out a breath in their ears before banging on the door to the warehouse. There was no response, so she called out, “Is anybody in there? I need some help!” Silence was her only answer even after she knocked again, so she shifted a little, pulling what Jack recognized as a set of lock-picks from her back pocket. “You guys gonna sit there, or you gonna join me?”</p><p>Mac huffed quietly and he got out of the car with Jack. He took his gun out, just in case, and spun it on his index finger, trying to ignore how... <em>right</em> it felt in his hand. He caught Mac staring at him as they walked toward the warehouse and he frowned. “What?”</p><p>“Nothing, it’s just...” Mac said, chewing on his lower lip. “It’s hot when you spin your gun like that. Very hot.”</p><p>Jack ducked his head, grinning as a blush colored his cheeks.</p><p>“You two are sickeningly adorable,” Desi commented when they got close enough, popping the lock on the door only when Jack was ready to go in ahead of her.</p><p>He did, sweeping his gun across the warehouse... which appeared to be totally empty. Jack immediately glanced at Mac and his heart clenched when he saw the look of disappointment on his face. They took a look around anyway, but there was literally <em>nothing</em> there—it was just one big empty space, no back rooms, no doors, nothing.</p><p>“I... I don’t understand,” Mac said, looking crushed. “So he... his name is on the lease, but it doesn’t look like anyone’s been there in a long while.” He swallowed and looked at Jack, desperation flashing in his eyes. “I don’t get it.”</p><p>“It must be a dummy, to protect him in case somebody figured out the identity he’s used most recently,” Jack said, and he knew that because he’d done the same thing himself. “The question is, where is he actually hiding?”</p><p>“I might have an answer for that,” Riley interjected over the comms, Ripley panting in her ear. “The cameras at that warehouse are transmitting wirelessly to a laptop that’s in an apartment building about three blocks from here.”</p><p>Jack exchanged a look with Mac and Desi.</p><p>“If he’s there then he for sure saw us on those cameras,” Desi pointed out. “We should go.”</p><p>“Not so fast,” Jack said, just as she was about to start walking toward the entrance. “He knows we found the warehouse, he doesn’t know what Riley just told us,” he murmured. “If we run outta here he’s gonna realize we’re onto him and he’s gonna clear out of that apartment before we get there.” In case there were cameras inside he looked around and shrugged, pretending to give up. “So we should leave, yes, but slow and easy. And look dejected.”</p><p>Mac looked dejected already—kind of like a puppy that somebody kicked—and while Desi’s dejection looked more like a scowl, it was still effective. The three of them walked outside and stop for a moment like they were having a conversation about what to do next, their backs conveniently turned to the cameras.</p><p>“That was a good call, Jack,” Desi grudgingly admitted. “We’ll have to take a ride by the apartment and see how it looks.”</p><p>“What if he has access to the cameras outside the apartment building too?” Mac asked, and Jack reached out to pat his shoulder, pretending to comfort him for the cameras. “He could recognize the car.”</p><p>“True,” Jack mused, putting his gun away. “We could leave the car around the corner and go in on foot, there’s gotta be some back entrance or something.”</p><p>“And I could watch the front from my car,” Riley suggested through the comms. “I’d let you know if he exits, I found an old picture of him so I know what he looks like.”</p><p>“Makes sense,” Desi agreed.</p><p>They went back to Jack’s SUV and drove down a couple blocks, parking again and letting Riley drive by them to take a spot near the front of the building. They got out of the SUV and crossed the street, going around the back of the building to look for another way inside.</p><p>“There’s a fire door,” Mac said, pointing. “It’ll be locked, but we might be able to force it.”</p><p>“And no cameras,” Desi said with a grin when they get closer. “How’s it looking on your end, Riles?”</p><p>“All clear,” Riley said a moment later. “No sign of Mac’s dad.”</p><p>When they reached the door, Mac crouched next to it, examining the lock closely, and Jack was fascinated by the look on his face. He was gorgeous, as always, but now that he was thinking about getting inside, trying to solve a problem, Jack heard the gears turning in his head and it was... it was beautiful. Jack felt Desi’s eyes on him, but she wasn’t glaring like she had been—instead, it was almost like she was taking her measure of his reaction to what Mac was doing.</p><p>“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” she whispered.</p><p>Jack nodded. “Yep.”</p><p>“I can hear you guys, you know,” Mac pointed out wryly, and he stood up, holding out his hand. “Dez, I need your cell phone.”</p><p>Jack raised his eyebrows as Desi rolled her eyes, but took out her phone and handed it to Mac. “I don’t get it,” she grumbled. “Why can’t you use your own phone for once?” She must’ve felt Jack’s questioning gaze on her because she clarified, “I have to get a new phone pretty much at least once a week.”</p><p>“It’s not <em>that</em> bad,” Mac said rolling his eyes. He swiftly took the back off the phone and did something to the wiring, pulling a piece of chewing gum out of his pocket—Jack wasn’t sure where that came from and then realized Mac must’ve had it in his backpack. He popped it in his mouth and chewed rapidly, then used the gum to stick the phone to the door. “We need to take four giant steps back.”</p><p>“What?” Jack said with a frown, but then Mac grabbed his wrist and tugged him back.</p><p>“Something you may not know about Mac yet,” Desi started, watching them in amusement and also stepping back. “He loves blowing shit up.”</p><p>As if on cue the cell phone exploded, blasting open the lock on the fire door. It was a minor thing, barely enough to make any noise... but the fireball of metal shrapnel it created had the power to make Jack’s breathing quicken and his ears ring.</p><p>He saw Mac frown at him from a distance, his hand moving to Jack’s shoulder and squeezing. “Jack? You okay?”</p><p>He felt his lips moving, but no sound came out, the ringing in his ears intensifying. His hands got sweaty and he felt a flashback coming but he fought it, trying to focus on Mac’s fingers squeezing his shoulder. Mac wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a hug and letting him hide his face in his neck. He was talking but Jack couldn’t make out the words, too busy trying to breathe and not let panic consume him. He put his hands on Mac’s waist and the touch grounded him enough that his hearing came back online.</p><p>“Shhh, it’s okay, Jack,” Mac said, holding him closer. “Take your time, we’ll wait.”</p><p>Jack desperately tried to get himself together, not wanting to slow them down, but he couldn’t breathe, his chest heaving violently. He felt himself start shaking and he let out a tiny whimper, and Mac’s arms tightened around him, the cast pressing against his back.</p><p>“Hey, Jack,” Riley said in his ear. Her voice was unsure but familiar, and it was something for him to latch on to. “Remember that time you took me to the carnival? And we both ate so much funnel cake and cotton candy that we thought we’d be sick on the go-karts? That was a fun day—we should do it again with the whole gang.”</p><p>“That sounds nice,” Mac murmured in his ear, and Jack realized that he heard what Riley said too. “I’d love to hear about that one day. And we should definitely go to the carnival when we get the chance.”</p><p>Mac’s and Riley’s voices were... soothing and calming, and eventually Jack managed to control his breathing and he stopped shaking. “I’m...” he started, and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>It wasn’t Mac who spoke this time, but Desi: “It’s okay, Jack. We’ve all got PTSD.”</p><p>Jack blinked, not stepping back from Mac yet. “Wait... Riley too?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Riley said quietly, a catch in the words. “I was in jail for a while, I don’t know if Mac mentioned that. Also... I shot a guy, but that’s kind of a long story.”</p><p>“We’re all fucked up,” Desi continued, and put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Nobody’s gonna judge you for that.”</p><p>Exhaling shakily, Jack closed his eyes and breathed in Mac’s smell, and once he was ready he pulled back. Mac gave him a soft smile and moved his good hand to the side of his neck, squeezing it gently and rubbing Jack’s jaw with his thumb. “I’m... okay, I’m good,” Jack said after a moment, his heart going back to beating in a steady rhythm. “Let’s go.”</p><p>They headed into the apartment building, and Riley said, “Okay, the camera feed is going to an apartment on the third floor. I checked out the lease records and it’s under the Jim Hayes name.”</p><p>They took the elevator to the third floor and everything seemed normal, but Jack still pushed Mac behind him when they approached the door to the apartment. He drew his gun and Desi did the same, keeping them low so they couldn’t be seen through the peephole... and then Jack knocked on the door. For a moment nothing happened and just as Jack thought no one was home, he heard the soft sound of footsteps on the other side. They were barely audible, like that person was trying to stay as quiet as possible, but they weren’t as good at that as Jack was.</p><p>Suddenly, the door swung open and Jack found himself staring at the barrel of a gun, so he raised his as well, knowing Desi did the same... and Mac inhaled sharply behind him.</p><p>“Dad?” Mac asked in a small voice.</p><p>The gun in front of Jack dropped to the ground, clattering on the floor. Behind it was a man that was only a little older than Jack, though he was pale and thin, like he might have some kind of illness. “Angus? What on earth... how did you find me?”</p><p>Mac didn’t rush past Jack to hug his father, which wasn’t surprising considering Mac hadn’t seen him in years. “I... I found the coordinates for the resort in New Hampshire,” he said, his voice shaking, so he cleared his throat. “I found some records with the client logs where I found the name Jim Hayes... it had to be you.”</p><p>James MacGyver stared at his son for a moment, glancing at Jack and Desi before he backed up into the apartment. “Come in. Did anyone see you?”</p><p>“No, we came through the back,” Desi told him, bolstering her weapon while Jack double-checked that they were alone—although he suspected that James wouldn’t have invited them in if they weren’t.</p><p>Once they were inside James locked the door behind them and they all stepped into a small living room. Jack didn’t say anything and neither did Desi, waiting for Mac to take the lead... which he didn’t, only looking at his father with a blank expression on his face.</p><p>“Angus, I...” James started. “I don’t know what to say.”</p><p>“Well, I’ve got a starting point for you,” Jack drawled, apparently startling both MacGyvers. “How about you explain why you abandoned your son on his tenth birthday?”</p><p>James’s gaze snapped to him for a second before he sighed, sitting down in a chair and gesturing for the three of them to take the couch. “The last thing I wanted to do was leave you, Angus,” he said, rubbing a hand over his face. “I know you probably won’t believe this, but I left to try and protect you and Harry. Clearly I just wound up hurting you, and I’m sorry about that.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, it’s gonna take a lot more than that for me to even start thinking about forgiving you,” Mac said, his voice scarily neutral, and Jack could tell that even Desi was surprised by that. “It’s been... seventeen years. Do you really expect me to believe you’ve been on the run all that time?”</p><p>“Of course not,” James replied, and Jack noticed that he wasn’t angry or defensive... just resigned. “When I wasn’t running I was hiding, usually in the middle of nowhere. I kept in touch with your grandfather for a while, but after he died I couldn’t keep an eye on you anymore.” He paused. “That place in New Hampshire was one of... a lot of spots I went to. Unfortunately someone found out where I was, and I had to leave in a hurry.”</p><p>“Jonah Walsh,” Mac and Jack said in unison, and James’s eyes widened.</p><p>“Yeah, we saw him in New Hampshire, he got to the cabins right after we did. And then...” Mac trailed off and Jack sighed.</p><p>“Then he knocked on my door,” Jack said, and James looked at him in shock. “Oh yeah, I lived there. Anyway, even though I told him Mac wasn’t there, he didn’t believe me and set my cabin on fire.”</p><p>“It was actually one of Jonah’s associates who found me,” James clarified. “Totally by accident, too. I was in Lancaster getting groceries and he followed me back to the resort. I didn’t want to destroy their livelihood, but I had to make it look like I had died and the fire had burned so hot there were no remains left.” He smiled wryly. “I guess that gave Jonah the idea for your cabin. Sorry about that.” He sighed. “And then I rented the warehouse and this apartment... around the same time I got the diagnosis.”</p><p>Jack’s heart dropped to his boots because it looked like his suspicions were now confirmed—but apparently Mac didn’t notice how awful James looked, too preoccupied with everything. “What?” he asked, his voice going quieter. “What... what diagnosis?”</p><p>“Cancer,” James said, smiling without mirth. “I didn’t go to the doctor until I started having symptoms, so they didn’t catch it early... I’ve been going for treatments, but the prognosis isn’t very good.” He looked away for a moment. “I’m... I’m glad you found me, Angus. I wanted to reach out, but I was afraid you wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”</p><p>Jack glanced at Mac and saw him blink rapidly, ducking his head when tears shined in his eyes. He wanted to reach for him more than anything, comfort him somehow, but he wasn’t sure it would be welcome now, so he stayed still.</p><p>“What... what were you working on? What did you want to protect me from?” Mac asked quietly. “And why is Walsh looking for you?”</p><p>“Well, I’m sure you read all my notes,” James said wryly, smiling for real when Mac’s head snapped up. “But I’ll tell you anyway. KX7 was meant to help soldiers on the battlefield, but all Walsh saw was a cash grab. Unfortunately I didn’t realize that until it was too late. He stole part of the formula when we had a falling out, and he’s been hunting for me ever since, trying to get me to make KX7 again. And I was afraid he was going to try to use you against me.”</p><p>Jack had to admit James had a point here since Walsh definitely seemed like the kind of guy that would kidnap a kid for leverage. Still, he wished James handled it at least a little better and saved Mac some of the heartbreak that came with being abandoned by his dad.</p><p>“I... I don’t think Walsh managed to follow us here,” Mac said after a moment, clearing his throat. “But... you’d be safer in LA, you know?”</p><p>That gave James pause, shock flitting across his face. “You... you want me to come to LA?”</p><p>“Of course I do,” Mac whispered, and those tears that were in his eyes started rolling down his cheeks. “I might still be angry, and hurt... but you’re still my dad.”</p><p>“And if we know you’re safe, then we can go after Walsh,” Desi pointed out. “Because clearly he needs to be stopped.”</p><p>Mac’s eyes widened a little as he wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand. “I guess this is were I tell you that I’m... kind of a spy.”</p><p>To Jack’s surprise, James smiled knowingly. “Yeah, I figured. DXS, right?”</p><p>“It’s... now called the Phoenix Foundation, actually,” Mac said slowly. “How... how do you know about that?”</p><p>“I still have some trustworthy friends in the government,” James said, which was exactly the kind of cryptic thing someone who used to work for the government would say. “Which is how I know who your friends are, and why I invited you all in instead of just Angus.” He looked at his son again. “And I’m so proud of you, son. You’ve done so much to help people... much more than I was ever able to.”</p><p>Jack decided to let it go for now, but he couldn’t help but wonder how exactly James knew about him—he’d only known Mac for a few days and he had nothing to do with Matty’s organization.</p><p>“I... thanks, Dad,” Mac said quietly. “That means a lot.” He shook his head a little, trying to gather his thoughts, and he looked at Desi. “Our jet is waiting for us, right?”</p><p>Desi nodded. “Sitting on the tarmac at Logan,” she said, and stood up. “How about I help you pack a bag, James?”</p><p>She walked with Mac’s father into the bedroom, and as soon as they were gone Mac all but threw himself into Jack’s arms, hiding his face in his shoulder.</p><p>“Hey, hey,” Jack murmured, wrapping his arms tightly around Mac’s waist and pulling him in his lap. He didn’t think Mac’s crying, but he was trembling and his breathing was uneven against his neck. “What’s goin’ on, baby?” he asked quietly, even though he suspected what this might be about. “Talk to me.”</p><p>“I... I <em>want</em> to be mad,” Mac whispered, his fingers fisting the leather of Jack’s coat so tightly it squeaked. “But... he’s sick, and I... I understand why he did what he did.” He sighed harshly. “I pictured this a thousand different ways... but never this one.”</p><p>Jack sighed, sliding one hand up to the back of Mac’s neck, tangling his fingers in his hair. “I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now, Angus,” he whispered, lips pressed to Mac’s temple. “But if he’s anything like you, I’m sure he’s not gonna stop fighting. Especially now when he actually has someone to fight for.” He rocked Mac back and forth a little, holding him close. “We’ll figure it out, it’s gonna be okay.”</p><p>“I hope you’re right,” Mac mumbled, and after a beat of silence he lifted his head enough to kiss Jack on the cheek. “I love you... thank you for being here with me.” He cleared his throat and stood up in time for James and Desi to reemerge, so Jack did the same and kept his hands to himself.</p><p>“You all set?” Jack asked, and when James nodded he continued, “Then let me and Mac go out first.”</p><p>“Alright, let us know if the coast is clear,” Desi said, taking her gun out just in case.</p><p>“Nothing excited outside,” Riley confirmed, her voice followed by a bark. “Once you’re back in your car, Ripley and I are gonna meet you at the airport.”</p><p>“Okay, let’s do this,” Jack said, and he and Mac walked out together.</p><p>They headed downstairs and out the front door this time, and thankfully nothing happened. They made it to the car and Jack started it up, giving his okay over the comms. He watched carefully as Desi and James emerged from the building a moment later, and as soon as they were inside he pulled on to the street and headed for the airport.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is it, folks! We've reached the end of yet another fic! Thank you so much for sticking around, and we'll be back with another one soon! (Also, don't be sad: everybody in this universe is coming back for the sequel!)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The ride to the airport and the flight went without a hitch, and before Mac knew it they were back in Los Angeles. Once they landed they piled into two SUVs and Mac ended up in one with Jack behind the wheel and his dad in the backseat. Desi and Riley took Ripley with them since she wasn’t too happy with James earlier—there was some growling and less than amicable barking when they boarded the plane in Boston—and now they were all on their way to Mac’s house. When they got there Mac was a little surprised to find Bozer, Leanna, and Matty waiting for them. Pizzas were spread out on the kitchen counter, and there was soda and beer too.</p><p>Bozer hugged him as soon as he was in the door, handing him a beer as he said, “Dude, I’m so glad you’re okay! Thought you might’ve gotten eaten by wolves or something.” At that moment Ripley trotted inside the house and Bozer let out a high-pitched scream, ducking behind Leanna. “And you brought a wolf over here! Are you out of your mind?”</p><p>Ripley just tilted her head, looking at him curiously before ignoring him and choosing to walk up to Matty. Matty didn’t look remotely intimidated, and when Ripley sat down next to her she petted her on the head. “Good girl.”</p><p>“That’s gotta be the most anticlimactic meeting Ripley’s ever had,” Jack commented, coming to stand at Mac’s side. He offered a hand to Leanna to shake, since Bozer was hiding. “Jack Dalton, nice to meet you.”</p><p>“Leanna Martin,” she said with a smile. “And hiding behind my back is Bozer.”</p><p>“I’m not hiding!” Bozer exclaimed, peeking over her shoulder, and Mac had to stifle a laugh. “I’m just... assessing the situation from a strategically safe spot, that’s all.” He squinted at Jack. “So you’re the guy Mac’s been hanging out with?”</p><p>“He saved my life, Bozer,” Mac said, feeling his cheeks color as he reached for Jack’s hand. “And then some other stuff happened.” His dad and Desi came in along with Riley, and to Mac’s surprise James didn’t comment on him and Jack. “So how about that pizza?”</p><p>“Yes, <em>please</em>,” Bozer quickly agreed. “Anything so that I don’t have to hear about that other stuff that happened.”</p><p>Mac rolled his eyes at his best friend’s dramatics, but he headed for the kitchen, smiling when Jack stayed close... and then he noticed his dad walking up to Matty. “Matilda,” he said, smiling a little. “It’s been a while.”</p><p>To Mac’s utter shock, Matty smiled back. “It certainly has,” she replied, and she sounded almost... fond?</p><p>He glanced at Jack, who looked just as confused as he was, and then at Desi. She and Riley were picking out pizza, and she met Mac’s gaze and deadpanned, “They’re totally gonna bone.” Mac made a panicked noise in the back of his throat and Jack choked next to him, but thankfully it didn’t seem like either Matty or James heard that. “What?” Desi shrugged. “I’m telling you.”</p><p>Riley chuckled quietly and then they both headed to the deck, leaving Mac kind of frozen in shock. He looked at Jack with wide eyes, but he only stared back, Leanna and Bozer moving around them while they got their pizza.</p><p>“Something wrong, Blondie?” Matty asked from behind him, making Mac jump.</p><p>“No, no, nothing’s wrong,” Mac hurried to say, grabbing some pizza and then Jack’s arm. “Come on, Jack, I’ll show you the deck.” Jack followed without a protest and once they were outside Mac laughed hysterically. “You know, nothing will surprise me today,” he muttered, and Jack patted his back.</p><p>“I know it’s a lot, baby,” Jack murmured. “But damn, this place is <em>awesome</em>.” When Mac glanced at him Jack was looking around with a grin on his face. “It’s amazing.”</p><p>Mac glanced at the view, but then his eyes wandered back to Jack’s face and he couldn’t help but smile. “It is,” he agreed, leaning in to kiss Jack’s cheek. “But I think I like you more.”</p><p>They sit down with the others, and dinner... was pretty spectacular. Ripley wandered outside about halfway through and Jack slipped her a few pepperoni, which would hold her over until they got her food set up. Mac was happy to see that Jack seemed to get along with everyone—even Desi stopped glaring at him—and it was amusing to watch him bicker with Matty. Not many people were brave enough to do that, so it was kind of amazing and Mac promised himself he would ask Jack about how it was working with Matty at the CIA.</p><p>“I’m happy for you, son,” his dad’s voice sounds right next to him and startles him as James sits down next to him. “You have a great family here.”</p><p>Mac thought about his response for a moment. “You’re part of my family too, Dad,” he said, and cut his eyes toward Jack. “So you don’t have a problem with—”</p><p>“Of course not,” James interjected gently. “As long as he’s good to you, then I’m fine with it.”</p><p>“He is,” Mac said softly, fondness spreading through his chest as he watched Jack laugh about something with Riley. “I may have not known him for long, but... I’ve never felt like this before.” His cheeks burned—he wasn’t used to talking about feelings, especially with his dad, so he changed the subject. “How did you know who Jack was?” he asked, looking at James curiously. “I only met him a few days ago, so...”</p><p>James chuckled a little. “Jack’s something of a legend in the intelligence community. I doubt he’d tell you this himself, but he’s responsible for taking down quite a few terrorists. Not to mention he holds just about every sharpshooting record the military has.” He paused. “He’ll make a good addition to Matty’s team—your team, I mean.”</p><p>Mac had a feeling Jack’s record was impressive, but it was nice to have actual confirmation. “If he decides to take the job,” he said quietly, taking a sip of his beer. He tried not to get his hopes up, not to think about how great it would be to work with Jack—it was clear he was still working through some issues and the last thing Mac wanted was to pressure him into anything. “He told Matty he’d think about it.”</p><p>“Oh, I think he will,” James said, taking a sip off a soda. If he was doing chemotherapy then drinking was a no-go. “He’s been out of the game long enough that he’s probably got the itch... plus he seems awfully fond of you.”</p><p>“I... yeah, he is,” Mac said, and smiled when Jack made his way over to them. “Hey. I hope everybody hasn’t scared you away from joining the Phoenix.”</p><p>“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Jack said, and while it wasn’t a confirmation he’d take a job... it also wasn’t a no. “Although Bozer seems scared of me,” he added before grinning wolfishly. “It’s gonna be fun exploring it in the future.” Mac couldn’t help but smile and he was surprised when James chuckled as well. “It’s been nice to catch up with Matty, though,” Jack said after a moment, the smile on his face turning wistful. “Put this... whole thing behind us.”</p><p>“I have a feeling Matty and I will have a similar conversation,” James said cryptically, pushing himself to his feet. “In fact, she invited me to stay at her place instead of in a hotel. You know, for safety.”</p><p>Mac choked a little on his beer and grabbed on to Jack’s leg so he didn’t topple out of his seat. His dad winked at him, sauntering away and as the party started to break up.</p><p>“Did your old man just said he’s staying with Matty and <em>wink</em>?” Jack asked incredulously, and Mac whined, turning to him and burying his face in his neck. “Desi was right, they’re <em>totally</em> going to bone.”</p><p>Jack chuckled when Mac whined again, desperately trying to wipe any thoughts of his dad’s sex life from his brain. The next ten minutes or so were a blur of goodbyes, and then he and Jack were left alone with Ripley. They went inside to put away the leftovers and Jack fed her... and then Mac was suddenly aware of how <em>exhausted</em> he was. The idea of sleeping in his own bed was fantastic... and having Jack there made it even better.</p><p>“C’mon,” he mumbled, grabbing Jack’s arm and tugging. “I need to sleep for about four days.”</p><p>“That sounds fantastic,” Jack said around a yawn. They passed Bozer’s old room on their way to the bedroom and Jack chuckled when he glanced inside. “I think it’s her room now,” he said, gesturing at Ripley who was sprawled in the middle of Bozer’s old bed, already out.</p><p>“Good, I don’t mind,” Mac murmured, closing the bedroom door once they were inside. He let go of Jack’s hand and started unbuttoning his shirt as he stepped closer to bed. His broken arm itched a little in the cast, but it wasn’t that bad and soon he managed to slide the shirt off his shoulders.</p><p>“Oh, well, that’s about all I can take,” Jack drawled from behind him, flinging the shirt aside and turning Mac around to give him a sweet kiss. His hands splayed on his back, callouses rubbing against Mac’s scars. When Mac made a questioning sound, Jack grinned and continued, “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen—how am I not supposed to kiss you when you start strippin’ in front of me.”</p><p>Something warm blossomed in Mac’s chest and he couldn’t help but smile back, leaning in to peck Jack’s lips. “You’re crazy,” he murmured, putting his hand on Jack’s neck and rubbing his jaw with his thumb. “And I think you should return the favor,” he added with a grin, tugging on the collar of Jack’s shirt. Jack obliged him, pulling off his t-shirt, and this suddenly felt surreal, having him in Mac’s room. “Come here,” Mac whispered, and pulled him toward the bed until they both collapsed down on it. Then he grabbed Jack’s shoulders and started to roll so he’d be on top... but Jack’s hand on his cheek made him freeze.</p><p>“Hey, darlin’?” Jack asked, and his voice was oddly tentative. “What would you think about... switching things up?”</p><p>Mac blinked at him and felt his jaw drop a little. “You... what?” he asked, very intelligently. “I mean... you’re sure?”</p><p>Jack smiled at him and rolled on his back, pulling Mac on top of him. “I’m sure, baby,” he murmured before raising his eyebrow. “Although you did mention you wanted to sleep for four days... so maybe you want to take a nap instead?”</p><p>Mac let out a slightly hysterical laugh. “Really? You say <em>that </em>to me and then expect me to want to <em>sleep</em>?” He leaned down until their noses touched, felt himself smiling wide enough for his dimples to show. “I’m wide awake, at least for now.”</p><p>He bridged the gap between them, pressing their lips together in a kiss. Jack let out a sigh and kissed back, his arms circling Mac’s waist. His hands slowly ran up and down his back, tracing his scars with his fingers, and Mac moaned softly, shivering under Jack’s touch. He braced most of his weight on his good arm and let himself get lost in the kiss that after a moment got hungrier and more urgent.</p><p>Mac broke away to breathe, but then he attached his lips to Jack’s jaw, nipping at the bone before moving lower. He sucked a bruise over his pulse and reveled in the whine Jack let out, his hands slipping down Mac’s back to rest on his ass. This was... different from what they’d done so far, but it felt good... Mac was just trying not to think about how he hadn’t topped with a guy before. He groaned when Jack’s hands squeezed his ass and he moved lower, nipping on his collarbone. The sounds Jack made are amazing and Mac needed to hear more, but he couldn’t turn his brain off and he couldn’t help but worry about messing up.</p><p>“Angus,” Jack breathed out, one hand sliding up Mac’s back and tangling in his hair. “What’s... are you okay?”</p><p>Mac would never get tired of the way Jack said his name, and he leaned into his touch for a moment, shutting his eyes. “I’m okay, yeah,” he said quietly, not wanting Jack to think he was heading for a flashback. “I just...” He debated how to phrase it, then decided the truth was the best option. “I’ve never done this with a guy before.”</p><p>Jack frowned, his brows furrowing, and it shouldn’t be this adorable. “What? But we’ve already—” His eyes widened. “Oh, you mean <em>this</em>,” he breathed out, and then he smiled, moving his hand to cup Mac’s cheek. “We don’t have to if you’re not comfortable, baby.”</p><p>“I’m not uncomfortable, it’s just...” Mac trailed off again, pressing his lips to Jack’s palm. “I don’t want to screw it up, or hurt you somehow—”</p><p>“Angus, that’s not gonna happen,” Jack interjected, his other hand rubbing slowly up and down Mac’s spine. “It really ain’t all that complicated, for one thing, and for another, I can tell you if you do something I don’t like.”</p><p>He looked up with a calm gaze, his gorgeous dark eyes full of trust and <em>love</em>, so Mac exhaled shakily and nodded. “Okay,” he whispered. “Okay, I’m... okay.” He leaned down and pressed their lips together again, closing his eyes, and a moment later he felt Jack’s hands toying with the button of his jeans. He wriggled out of his jeans when Jack opened them and pushed at the waistband, suddenly thankful that he took off his boots when they got here. Their kissing got more passionate, and Mac realized they’d have a problem, so he pulled back to speak. “This isn’t very sexy... but do you think you could take your pants off yourself?” he asked, waving his fingers where they stuck out of the cast. “The last thing I want is to get your dick caught in your zipper.”</p><p>Jack laughed and grinned up at Mac, and fuck, he was so <em>gorgeous</em>. “Sure, baby,” he chuckled, moving his hands down to his button and zipper, quickly getting them open and kicking them down when Mac lifted enough to let him do it.</p><p>The underwear went along with the pants, so when Mac lowered himself on top of Jack, they both groaned when their cocks brushed together. Another thing Mac would never get over was how much Jack turned him on—specifically how just being near him like this nudged him closer to the edge. He took in a shaky breath to get himself together, giving Jack a kiss before he leaned over to open his nightstand. Thankfully his lube wasn’t expired, and he hesitated before shutting the drawer again.</p><p>“Do you want a condom?” he asked. “I know we haven’t been using them... but you haven’t been doing this, either.”</p><p>“Nah,” Jack replied with a smile, and there it was again, that <em>trust</em>. “I wanna feel you. All of you.”</p><p>Mac’s heart fluttered when Jack said things like that and he swallowed, kissing him again. Once he pulled back, he opened the lube and poured some on his fingers, looking at Jack cautiously. “If you... if I do anything wrong, tell me, okay?”</p><p>Jack nodded, his hands falling to either side of his hips as his legs spread to make room for Mac’s shoulders. He shimmied down the bed and took the head of Jack’s cock into his mouth as he looked for his entrance with his fingers. He circled his hole with his index finger before pushing it inside slowly, hoping like hell he was doing this correctly.</p><p>Jack inhaled sharply. “Oh fuck, baby,” he groaned, throwing his head back, so Mac must be doing something right.</p><p>He’d always been good at giving head, so maybe it was that, although the moan Jack let out when Mac started moving his finger suggested he liked that as well. Closing his eyes, Mac relaxed his throat and took Jack’s cock in deeper, bobbing his head as he moved his finger in and out, adding a second one a moment later. He pulled off Jack’s cock once the second finger was inside, not wanting to get him too much stimulation. He kissed his way back up to Jack’s lips instead, scissoring his fingers apart gently and loving how Jack’s breathing hitched.</p><p>“Shit, that’s so good,” he whispered, one of his hands coming up to squeeze Mac’s ass cheek.</p><p>Mac watched him with wide eyes, mesmerized by the sounds he made and how gorgeous he looked like that. He pushed his fingers in deeper, searching for that spot... and a moment later he apparently found because Jack groaned loudly, arching off the mattress. Mac wasn’t one for dirty talk, so he busied himself with leaving as many marks on Jack’s skin as he could while he moved his fingers back and forth, getting Jack used to the intrusion. He wasn’t sure a third finger was necessary but he added it anyway, wanting to make absolutely sure that he wouldn’t hurt Jack with the next step.</p><p>Jack made another beautiful sound, a broken moan, and he panted underneath Mac, fingers digging into his back. “Come on, baby,” he gasped. “I’m... I’m good, Angus, <em>please</em>.”</p><p>“Okay, Jack,” Mac whispered, willing his voice not to tremble as he removed his fingers.</p><p>He grabbed the lube and coated his cock with it, then took a deep breath as he lined himself up, looking into Jack’s eyes as he started pushing inside. His lips parted and he let out a soft groan as Mac slowly kept burying himself inside him. He stilled completely once he bottomed out, forcing himself to not to move, wanting to give Jack time to get used to the stretch. Jack was breathing heavily and his eyes were wide and almost black with lust, and after a moment he dragged Mac down for a kiss.</p><p>“You can move, baby,” he mumbled against Mac’s lips.</p><p>“No... I really can’t,” Mac grated out, resting his head against Jack’s shoulder, weight braced on his good arm.</p><p>Jack’s hands rubbed up and down his back, and when he spoke again there was worry in his voice: “Why not? Are you okay?”</p><p>“I’m fine, it’s just...” Mac’s face flamed, and he gritted his back teeth. “You feel really good.”</p><p>“I’m glad,” Jack murmured softly, wrapping his arms around Mac and hugging him closer. “Take your time, baby, there ain’t no rush.” He let out a throaty chuckle. “But just so you know... you feel <em>amazing</em> inside me, better than I ever thought it could feel.”</p><p>Mac’s cheeks burned even more and he started mouthing at Jack’s collarbone, grazing it with his teeth, and then he ground his hips forward, moaning softly. “Fuck, <em>Jack</em>.”</p><p>“I know, Angus,” Jack said, holding him tightly even as Mac pulled his hips back and tried thrusting, a small breathless sound leaving his body. “There you go, just like that.”</p><p>The fingers of Mac’s casted hand clenched in the sheets near Jack’s shoulder and he set up a slow, deep rhythm, trying to find Jack’s prostate again. Jack gasped with every thrust of Mac’s hips and after a moment he cried out when Mac finally found the spot he was looking for. Jack clenched around his cock, making him moan loudly, and he pushed his face into Jack’s neck, his hips pushing into him harder. He squeezed his eyes shut because he felt his control slip and he didn’t want to hurt Jack... but it seemed Jack read his mind.</p><p>“Let go, baby,” he whispered, squeezing Mac’s hips. “Come on, I can take it.”</p><p>Mac remembered saying the same words to Jack not that long ago and he groaned. He thrusted in earnest, going faster and aiming for that spot he found. He bit down on Jack’s throat and slammed into him so hard that they moved up the bed a little. It felt so good and Mac knew that he wasn’t going to be able to keep this up forever... but he needed to see Jack come first. He set up a hard, quick pace, Jack gasping and moaning with every thrust of Mac’s hips. He kept pounding into him, feeling like his whole body was on fire... but judging by the sounds Jack made, so was he.</p><p>“Come on, babe,” Mac mumbled into Jack’s neck, angling his hips and making sure he found his prostate as often as he could. “I love you so much.”</p><p>“I—<em>oh fuck</em>—I love you too, baby,” Jack gasped out, his voice gone hoarse, nails digging into the scars on Mac’s back.</p><p>After a few more of Mac’s brutal thrusts Jack let out an animalistic sound and started to come. He made a mess of his abs, and he clenched so hard around Mac’s cock that it almost hurt. Mac moaned brokenly and kept moving, thrusting in and out, and chasing his release. Jack was still clinging to him, arms wrapped tightly around him, and he made those soft sounds with every slam of Mac’s hips, but he didn’t push him away.</p><p>“Jack, oh god,” Mac whimpered, and a few thrusts later he came with a loud shout, fucking Jack even harder as he filled him up with his come. His hips didn’t stop moving for what felt like hours, his whole body buzzing as he let out a sob and collapsed on top of Jack. He could barely breathe and Jack’s chest heaved underneath his own, and Mac shut his eyes, that exhaustion from earlier creeping back into his body.</p><p>A moment later he felt Jack’s hands slowly stroke his back up and down. “You alright?” he murmured, turning his head and planting a sloppy kiss on Mac’s temple. “That was... whoa.” He chuckled quietly. “Out of this world, darlin’.” Mac would really like to reply, but he just... couldn’t, both because he couldn’t find the words and because he still hadn’t figured out how to breathe again. “Angus?” Jack asked after a moment, sounding worried. “You good?”</p><p>“Mhmm... think so,” Mac replied, hardly recognizing his own rasping voice. “My brain is kinda broken, though.”</p><p>That made Jack chuckle underneath him, one hand sliding down to squeeze his ass cheek. “I doubt that,” he said, nuzzling at Mac’s hair. “You’re way too smart for that.”</p><p>Mac couldn’t help but smile because the way Jack said it was... normal and nice. He met plenty of people in the past who told him he was too smart in a bad way, not liking that, but Jack... he genuinely meant it. “I love you,” Mac mumbled against his neck, and he slowly pulled out and shifted, so that he wasn’t crushing Jack. “I’m so glad I wandered into those woods and met you.”</p><p>“By ‘wandered into those woods’ I sincerely hope you mean ‘rolled down a hill and almost died’,” Jack said, his voice full of amusement. He rolled them so they were on their sides facing each other, and pressed his forehead to Mac’s. “And I’m glad you did that too. Changed my whole damn world.”</p><p>Mac smiled and nuzzled Jack’s nose, feeling so happy he almost burst. “And you changed mine,” he whispered, not caring that he sounded like the sappiest idiot in the world. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, you know? And I... I want you to be happy,” he added, chewing on his lower lip. “So I just wanna tell you now that if you... if you choose not to take Matty up on her offer to join the Phoenix, it’s okay.”</p><p>Jack smiled at him, carding a hand through Mac’s hair. “I’m still not sure about that,” he admitted, squeezing the back of Mac’s neck. “I don’t know if my... problems will let me get back out in the field and not put anybody in danger. I could never forgive myself if you got hurt because I was havin’ a breakdown in a corner somewhere.”</p><p>“Jack, what happened earlier today is completely normal,” Mac said softly. “I don’t want you to beat yourself up over it.” Jack smiled a little, but it was a weak thing and he still didn’t look convinced. “Babe, it’s like Desi said—we’ve all got PTSD. And you haven’t been around guns and explosives for a while, so it’s not surprising your brain is a little out of practice when it comes to handling that.”</p><p>Jack blinked at him when he was done speaking, then put his hand on Mac’s cheek and gave him a kiss. “How in the hell did I get so lucky, huh?” he wondered aloud, awe in his voice as his thumb swept over Mac’s cheekbone. “A goddamn angel practically fell in my lap, and he <em>understands</em> me.”</p><p>Mac felt his face burn and he ducked his head. “Well, I don’t know about that angel part,” he mumbled, his heart fluttering happily even though he had no idea why Jack saw him like that. “But I do understand you and you understand me... which is kinda amazing.” He looked up at Jack’s smiling face and leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth. “You know what I was thinking? It’ll probably take a while to find Walsh… so maybe we could rebuild your cabin?”</p><p>Jack’s smile turned into a grin. “I’d like that, baby,” he murmured, pulling him in for a real kiss. “And maybe this time we’ll make it a little bigger... a guest room might be nice.” He brushed Mac’s hair out of his face. “You know... we don’t necessarily have to rebuild it where it was. What if I bought some land up in northern California? Somewhere secluded... but that we don’t have to take a plane to get to.”</p><p>“That sounds... great, actually,” Mac said, unable to stop smiling as he leaned into Jack’s touch. “And maybe...” He chewed on his lower lip, turning his gaze away. “Maybe we could buy the land... together?” As soon as he said it his eyes widened and he looked up at Jack. “I mean... we don’t have to! I know it’s probably too soon, but I just—”</p><p>He got kissed again, and when Jack pulled back he said, “I think that’s a great idea.” He was still smiling, his eyes warm and his touch gentle against Mac’s head. “Darlin’, I know we’ve only been together for a couple days, but... unlike literally everything else in my life, I have a good feeling about you and me.” He paused. “And Ripley. I guess she’s like our kid.”</p><p>Mac snorted and chuckled. “I guess so,” he agreed. “Although she’s more like your kid... even though she got attached to me pretty quickly.”</p><p>“Can’t say I blame her,” Jack murmured. “You’re very easy to get attached to. And I think it’s safe to say you basically adopted her by now.”</p><p>“As long as I don’t have to adopt Riley too, that’s fine,” Mac joked, and smiled when Jack laughed. Then he yawned so hard his jaw cracked, eyes slipping shut of their own accord. “And now I think I need to go to sleep or you’re gonna be talking to yourself.”</p><p>“That happened more times than you’d think,” Jack said, and Mac forced himself to open his eyes, finding Jack looking at him with amusement. “What? I’m a great person to talk to and as you recall, I’ve been kinda living in the middle of nowhere.” Mac chuckled and then yawned again, and Jack raised his eyebrow. “I really wore you out, huh?”</p><p>“Don’t get too cocky, old man,” Mac mumbled, smiling when Jack gasped theatrically in mock-offense. “Or <em>I’ll</em> wake <em>you</em> up with a blow job tomorrow.”</p><p>“Is that a threat or a promise?” Jack teased, pulling him closer and kissing his forehead. “Goodnight, darlin’.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Jack,” Mac whispered, sighing when Jack rolled on his back so that he could cuddle into his side. “Love you,” he added sleepily, resting his head on Jack’s shoulder and relaxing completely.</p><p>He drifted off almost immediately and the last thing he was aware of was Jack whispering the words back, the smell of leather and gunpowder, and the feeling of complete safety.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>